Tobacco smoke toxic for pets

Anyone who is both a smoker and a pet owner can do one very important thing to protect the animal’s life and his own: Quit smoking. A growing body of research, including the surgeon general’s report, shows there are no safe levels of exposure to secondhand smoke for humans or animals.

Toxins in secondhand smoke can cause lung and nasal cancer in dogs and lymphoma in cats, plus allergy and respiratory problems for other pets. Yet nearly 30 percent of pet owners live with at least one smoker.

That’s why some groups are asking smokers with pets to “take it outside” or, even better, kick the habit altogether.

“While most Americans have been educated about the dangers of smoking to their own bodies and their children’s, it is also important that pet owners take action to protect their beloved domestic animals from the dangers of secondhand smoke,” said Dr. Cheryl G. Healton, president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation, the national independent public health foundation dedicated to keeping young people from smoking and providing resources to smokers who want to quit.

Source: Tobacconews