If you smoke, you probably don’t realize what a big difference this act alone can make in the life of your dear dog. It is not only hazardous to human health but also equally deadly to pets whose fate it is to live in smoking environments. Just like us, dogs breathe in the air we get exposed to, and with the inhalation of cigarette smoke begins the breeding ground for numerous respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Studies also have shown that the dogs exposed to tobacco smoke have heightened levels of lung diseases and cancer, with the long-nosed breeds being worse off due to the enhanced trapping ability.
How Smoking Affects Your Dog: What Every Pet Owner Should Know
The danger is more lung cancer for dogs with shorter snouts, since their shorter passages don’t filter out as many bad particles before reaching the lung. Regardless of breed, however, dogs exposed consistently to secondhand and thirdhand smoke-the stuff left on couches, clothes, and more-run the risk of developing cancers and experiencing chronic breathing problems. This exposure becomes all the more alarming because it involves direct inhalation and ingestion of toxic residues upon grooming by the dogs themselves.
It is not only important to think about how smoking will affect your health but also that of the animals relying on you for their care. It is possible to reduce secondhand smoke in the home by simply designating areas as smoke-free and by limiting the amount of time pets spend in smoke-filled rooms. By being more knowledgeable about these risks, one is better able to make changes in order to protect all of your family members-both two-legged and four-legged.
Note: All photos used in this blog post are AI Generated, no pet was forced to have any cigarette or cigar in their mouth.