Smoking Cigarettes and Your Pets

A number of clients that we see at the hospital are smokers. How do I know? Their pets reak of cigarettes.

According to the American Cancer Society, second-hand smoke is responsible for:

- an estimated 46,000 deaths from heart disease in non-smokers who live with smokers
- about 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults
other breathing problems in non-smokers, including - coughing, mucus, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function
- 150,000 to 300,000 lung infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in children younger than 18 months of age, which result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations annually
- increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in about 200,000 to 1 million children who have asthma
more than 750,000 middle ear infections in children.

There isn't much difference between our lungs and our pet's lungs! Just like humans, our furry friends are also susceptible to lung disease due to second hand smoke.

We've discussed this at a hospital before and we bring it up to our clients that in the best interest of their pets, we recommend that they do not smoke around them.

Even if you choose not to stop smoking (come on people!), maybe you could smoke outside, away from your pet.

These animals don't have a choice. Make the right choice for them!

Keep Wagging and keep your kids (both kinds) safe and healthy.

Monique