Ariyah DeSouza, Associate Recruitment Marketing Manager:

Secondhand smoke can be as damaging to the health of animals as it is to ours. Consider the research:

Dogs living in homes where someone smokes:

• are in danger of nicotine poisoning by eating tobacco products or nicotine patches/gums; just 2 cigarette butts, if eaten by a puppy, can lead to death
• can experience allergic reactions including scratching, biting, and chewing their skin (owners often confuse this reaction with fleas or food allergies)
• are 300% more likely to develop nasal or lung cancer than dogs living in smoke-free homes; dogs with long noses (such as collies and Afghans) are prone to developing nasal cancer – and normally don’t survive one year after onset – while those with short noses (bulldogs, pugs, Shih Tzus) suffer more often from lung cancer

Cats whose humans smoke at home can:

• ingest toxins from secondhand smoke that have settled on their fur when they groom
• have a higher rate of feline lymphoma – which causes death in 3 out of 4 cats within 12 months who develop it – and an oral cancer called squamous cellcarcinoma than cats who aren’t exposed to secondhand smoke
• develop respiratory problems, lung inflammation, and asthma

What about birds exposed to secondhand smoke in the home? It’s possible that they’ll:

• develop eye problems, as well as respiratory problems like coughing and wheezing
• experience contact dermatitis from the nicotine on a smoker’s hand, causing these birds to pull out their own feathers

The ASPCA, one of the largest animal protection organizations in the U.S., recognizes tobacco smoke as a toxin that is dangerous to pets. That’s no surprise, at least 69 of the 7,000 chemicals in secondhand smoke are known to cause cancer. In order to better protect dogs, cats and other pets, the ASPCA recommends that smokers “take it outside.” Smoking cigarettes or pipes outdoors will not only help clear the home’s air of cancer-causing carcinogens, it will also prevent the deposit of smoke particles on carpets and upholstery, where pets often like to sleep, play and hide.

But smoking outside won’t save the smoker's health from tobacco use. The best solution, of course, is to quit smoking altogether.

According to a study published in the February 2009 edition of Tobacco Control, 28% of pet owners who smoke say that information on the dangers of pet exposure to secondhand smoke would motivate them to try to quit smoking. A new study shows that nearly 30% of pet owners live with at least one smoker — which begs the question: would a smoker quit for the health of her pet over her own?

Let's turn the question around to pet owners who smoke or used to smoke. How does (did) the health of your pet contribute to your quit? Where do you find your motivation to be tobacco free?