Cigarette Smoke Can Make Your Pet Sick

Most adults who smoke recognize that second- and third-hand smoke is harmful to other people around them, especially children. But not as many smokers realize their habit can also damage their pet's health. Animals can develop lung damage and certain kinds of cancer just like humans do when exposed to second-hand smoke, residual chemicals from cigarettes, and even the hands and clothing of a smoker. According to veterinary oncologist Heather Wilson-Robles of Texas A&M University, in an interview with Medical Daily: "Animals with asthma or bronchitis may have difficulties controlling their disease. A lot of vets, even though not much literature is published to prove that, would tell you that they have seen similar experiences. The owner quit smoking and the pet's lung problems or disease improved." Why Pets Are at Such High Risk from Exposure to Cigarette Smoke The fact is pets may have an even greater risk of smoking-related disease than children if smokers don't wash their hands after holding a cigarette. The toxins left behind on human hands can easily wind up in a cat or dog's fur. And to make matters worse, while most smokers wash cigarette toxins off their hands several times each day, the family pet often goes weeks between baths. This means the animal is spending every second of every day in between baths basting in the harmful chemicals deposited on his coat. "There are studies that show that dogs exposed to large amounts of second-hand smoke have significant c...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news