Post by CampWhippet on May 18, 2006 19:09:17 GMT -5
According to the American Lung Association, there are more than 4,000 chemicals in secondhand smoke, of which 200 are toxic and 43 have been shown to cause cancer. Although the effects of secondhand smoke on domestic animals have not been as widely researched as its effects on humans, recent studies have linked secondhand smoke in the home to higher rates of cancer and respiratory illnesses in cats and dogs.
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that dogs in smoking households had a 60 percent greater risk of lung cancer than dogs living in smoke-free environments. A different study published in the same journal showed that long-nosed dogs, such as collies, Dobermans and greyhounds, were twice as likely to develop nasal cancer if they lived with smokers.
A study conducted by Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Massachusetts found that cats in smoking households are more than two times as likely to develop a cancer called feline lymphoma than those in nonsmoking households.
The risk for cats living with a person who smokes a pack of cigarettes or more a day increases to three times that of cats living with nonsmokers.
Other studies suggest secondhand smoke in homes is responsible for higher rates of asthma in cats, a condition that is at best difficult to treat and in severe cases can be fatal.
Not only do cats and dogs living in a smoking household breathe in the secondhand smoke, but the smoke also produces tobacco residue that accumulates on animals' fur. Cats and dogs swallow this residue when they groom themselves, further increasing their exposure to the potentially deadly chemicals found in cigarettes.
And, even worse, I have treated dogs that decided to eat cigarette butts left in unattended ashtrays. Nicotine is extremely toxic to dogs and can cause vomiting, seizures and death. The severity of the poisoning depends upon the size of the dog and the number and type of cigarettes ingested, but some dogs could die after eating only one cigarette and most dogs would become extremely sick after eating just four or five cigarettes.
Also, chewing tobacco sometimes contains additives such as honey and molasses to increase its flavor, which probably also increases the likelihood that dogs find it tasty, too.
If you are a smoker and decide to quit, first and foremost, congratulations. If you decide to enlist the help of nicotine patches or gum, remember to keep them away from your pets, too, as ingestion of these products can be just as harmful to dogs as real cigarettes or tobacco.
And if quitting is not something you feel you can do right now, you can take measures to limit your pet's exposure, such as restricting smoking to outdoor areas and washing your hands before handling your pet.
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Ask 'Doc Suzy' Dr. Suzy Hochgesang is a veterinarian at Aguajito Veterinary Hospital in Monterey. Send questions to her at 1221 10th St., Monterey 93940 or e-mail suzydvm@gmail.com. To read archived columns by Hochgesang, go to www.montereyherald.com
www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/14582428.htm
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that dogs in smoking households had a 60 percent greater risk of lung cancer than dogs living in smoke-free environments. A different study published in the same journal showed that long-nosed dogs, such as collies, Dobermans and greyhounds, were twice as likely to develop nasal cancer if they lived with smokers.
A study conducted by Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Massachusetts found that cats in smoking households are more than two times as likely to develop a cancer called feline lymphoma than those in nonsmoking households.
The risk for cats living with a person who smokes a pack of cigarettes or more a day increases to three times that of cats living with nonsmokers.
Other studies suggest secondhand smoke in homes is responsible for higher rates of asthma in cats, a condition that is at best difficult to treat and in severe cases can be fatal.
Not only do cats and dogs living in a smoking household breathe in the secondhand smoke, but the smoke also produces tobacco residue that accumulates on animals' fur. Cats and dogs swallow this residue when they groom themselves, further increasing their exposure to the potentially deadly chemicals found in cigarettes.
And, even worse, I have treated dogs that decided to eat cigarette butts left in unattended ashtrays. Nicotine is extremely toxic to dogs and can cause vomiting, seizures and death. The severity of the poisoning depends upon the size of the dog and the number and type of cigarettes ingested, but some dogs could die after eating only one cigarette and most dogs would become extremely sick after eating just four or five cigarettes.
Also, chewing tobacco sometimes contains additives such as honey and molasses to increase its flavor, which probably also increases the likelihood that dogs find it tasty, too.
If you are a smoker and decide to quit, first and foremost, congratulations. If you decide to enlist the help of nicotine patches or gum, remember to keep them away from your pets, too, as ingestion of these products can be just as harmful to dogs as real cigarettes or tobacco.
And if quitting is not something you feel you can do right now, you can take measures to limit your pet's exposure, such as restricting smoking to outdoor areas and washing your hands before handling your pet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ask 'Doc Suzy' Dr. Suzy Hochgesang is a veterinarian at Aguajito Veterinary Hospital in Monterey. Send questions to her at 1221 10th St., Monterey 93940 or e-mail suzydvm@gmail.com. To read archived columns by Hochgesang, go to www.montereyherald.com
www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/14582428.htm
