How Your Smoking is Killing Your Pet

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About 16.8% of American adults smoke cigarettes, amounting to nearly 17 out of every 100 individuals aged 18 and above, according to the CDC. Smoking is known as the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., causing about 90% of all lung cancer deaths. But smoking isn't only detrimental to humans, a new study has found.

"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," Dr. Carolynn MacAllister, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service veterinarian told the Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights organization. "There have been a number of scientific papers recently that have reported the significant health threat secondhand smoke poses to pets. 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."

CBS Local reports that researchers at the University of Glasgow have found that dogs and cats are at risk for serious health problems when exposed to cigarette smoke. According to Metro, the team of researchers measured the nicotine levels found in fur and scanned castrated dogs' testicles to find out what exactly second-hand smoke does to these furry animals.

Clare Knottenbelt, a professor of small animal medicine and oncology said in a statement, "Our findings show that exposure to smoke in the home is having a direct impact on pets. It risks ongoing cell damage, increasing weight gain after castration and has previously been shown to increase the risk of certain cancers."

According to Knottenbelt, their study has proven that dogs can absorb cigarette smoke and that cats are more susceptible to the damages of it because they often clean themselves.

"Pet owners often do not think about the impact that smoking could have on their pets," Knottenbelt explained. "Whilst you can reduce the amount of smoke your pet is exposed to by smoking outdoors and by reducing the number of tobacco products smoked by the members of the household, stopping smoking completely is the best option for your pet’s future health and well-being."

Medical News Today reports that the researchers have also found that the risk for cellular damage and other health problems decreased for pets whose owners smoke outside. However, pets of those who reduced their nicotine consumption to less than 10 daily still had higher nicotine levels in their fur compared to non-smoking owners.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, there are about 70 to 80 million dogs and 74 to 96 million cats that are kept in households as pets, and about 37% to 47% of all households in the country have a dog, while 30% to 37% have a cat.

Express reports that the researchers recommend smoking cessation not only for the improvement of the owner's health but also for the betterment of their pet's health and well-being.