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Secondhand Smoke Found To Be Harmful To House Pets

By Emily Huh

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that secondhand
smoke is attributed with killing thousands of adult nonsmokers annually.

If smoking is that harmful to human beings, it would make sense that
secondhand smoke would have an adverse effect on pets that live in
the homes of smokers, said Dr. Carolynn MacAllister, Oklahoma State
University Cooperative Extension Service veterinarian.

“There have been a number of scientific papers recently that have
reported the significant health threat secondhand smoke poses to
pets,” MacAllister said. “Secondhand smoke has been associated with
oral cancer and lymphoma in cats, lung and nasal cancer in dogs, as
well as lung cancer in birds.”

She said a study conducted recently at Tufts College of Veterinary
Medicine found a strong correlation between secondhand smoke and
certain forms of cancer in cats. The number of cats with mouth cancer,
also known as squamous cell carcinoma, was higher for those animals
living in smoking environments versus those felines living in a smoke-
free home. In addition, cats that lived with smokers for five or more
years had an even higher incidence of this type of oral cancer.

“One reason cats are so susceptible to secondhand smoke is because
of their grooming habits. Cats constantly lick themselves while
grooming, therefore they lick up the cancer-causing carcinogens that
accumulate on their fur,” MacAllister said. “This grooming behavior
exposes the mucous membrane of their mouth to the cancer-causing
carcinogens.”

Malignant lymphoma is another type of cancer that cats that live with
smokers have a higher risk of getting. This cancer occurs in the lymph
nodes and cats are twice as likely to have this type of cancer compared
to cats living in a non-smoking home. This form of cancer is fatal to
three out of four cats within 12 months of developing the cancer.

MacAllister also pointed out that secondhand smoke is greatly associated
with the increased occurrence of cancer in the nose and sinus area among
dogs. Research also indicates a slight association with lung cancer.

“A recent study conducted at Colorado State University shows that
there is a higher incidence of nasal tumors in dogs living in a home
with secondhand smoke compared to dogs living in a smoke free
environment,” she said. “The increased incidence was specifically
found among the long nosed breed of dogs. Shorter or medium nosed
dogs showed higher rates for lung cancer.”

MacAllister said the longer nosed breeds of dogs have a great surface
area in their noses that is exposed to the carcinogens. This also provides
more area in which the carcinogens can accumulate. The carcinogens tend
to build up on the mucous membranes of long nosed dogs so not as
much reaches the lungs.

Dogs affected with nasal cancer normally do not survive more than one year.

“The reason short and medium nose dogs have a higher occurrence of
lung cancer is because their shorter nasal passages aren’t as effective
at accumulating the inhaled secondhand smoke carcinogens,” she said.
“This results in more carcinogens reaching the lungs.”

Pet birds also are victims of secondhand smoke. A bird’s respiratory
system is hypersensitive to any type of pollutant in the air.

MacAllister said the most serious consequences of secondhand smoke
exposure in birds are pneumonia or lung cancer. Other health risks include
eye, skin, heart and fertility problems.

Secondhand smoke is not the only danger faced by pets that live in smoke
filled environments. Poisoning is another risk they face.

“Curious pets can eat cigarettes and other tobacco products if the products
aren’t stored properly,” MacAllister said. “When ingested, this can cause
nicotine poisoning, which can be fatal.”

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group - Sept. 5, 2007