Forwarded message - for info, please see the ASPCA web site at
http://www.apcc.aspca.org.
The APCC also runs an emergency hotline - 1-888-4-ANI-HELP - that
provides round-the-clock telephone assistance.

NICOTINE CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION'S HEALTH

The effects of cigarette smoking on humans have been well-documented, but did you know that tobacco products can be fatal to domestic canines and felines if ingested? Signs of nicotine poisoning often develop within 15 to 45 minutes, reports Jill A. Richardson, DVM, of
the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), and can include excitation, salivation, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Muscle weakness, twitching, depression, collapse, coma, increased heart rate and cardiac arrest can follow; death can occur secondary to
respiratory paralysis. Adds Richardson, "It's more common for a dog than a cat to eat cigarettes, but amazingly, pet birds often chew on them, too."

If you or any of your family members smoke, please be sure to keep cigarettes and cigars out of your pet's reach; the same applies to the nicotine patches and gum often prescribed to stop smoking. And keep in mind that butts contain about 25 percent of the total nicotine content of a cigarette, so dump those ashtrays frequently.

In addition to offering information online at http://www.apcc.aspca.org, the APCC also runs an emergency hotline - 1-888-4-ANI-HELP - that provides round-the-clock telephone assistance.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group 9/5/2001