Secondhand Smoke and Your Pet

Endorsed by the Capital District Veterinary Medical Society,
a district of the New York State Veterinary Medical Society.
www.nysvms.org, www.avma.org,
www.healthypet.com, www.aahanet.org

Are you hurting your pet without knowing it?

Photo by David M.
Brown, Courtesy of
Just Strays
 

• Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, over 60 of which are known to cause cancer.
  
• Pets – including birds, rabbits, and other animals - can develop respiratory infections, lung inflammation and asthma from breathing in secondhand smoke.
  
• When pets living with smokers groom themselves, they ingest toxic secondhand smoke particulates that get trapped in their fur or feathers.
  
• Cats living in smoking households are 2.5 times more likely to develop malignant lymphoma (a type of cancer) than those living in smoke-free homes. As time goes by, with increased duration of exposure, the risk of acquiring cancer grows.
  
• Studies have shown that dogs living in smoking households are at much greater risk of developing lung cancer than those living in smoke-free homes. Dogs with long noses such as collies are 2.5 times more likely to develop nasal and sinus cancers.