Second and third hand smoke is a danger to people who breathe it, but the fumes are equally toxic for pets.
Second hand smoke is air that is exhaled or escapes from the end of cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Third hand smoke is residue that stays on skin, fur, clothing, and furniture after the air has cleared. Both second and third hand smoke are under the umbrella of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), which are linked to pet allergies, cancers, eye and skin diseases and respiratory problems.
If smoking is harmful to humans and ETS can cause illness and cancers in non-smokers, it logically follows that the same can hurt animals living with smokers.
Cats are especially susceptible to ETS because they are fastidious groomers. Their constant licking causes them to ingest cancer-causing carcinogens that build up on their fur.
Dogs living with smokers have a much higher risk of developing nasal tumors. Canines with longer noses tend to develop more tumors in their noses, and breeds with shorter snouts have a higher incidence of lung cancer.
Birds are at risk for harm because their respiratory systems are extra sensitive to any pollutants in the air. Birds exposed to smoke are more likely to develop pneumonia, lung, eye, skin and heart cancers and fertility problems.
Animals are also more likely to ingest toxic cigar or cigarette butts, nicotine replacement patches or gum and water contaminated by ETS.
The good news is that smokers who live with a pet are learning the habit can hurt their animals. In a study published by Tobacco Control, research from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit found that 28.4 percent of smokers said that learning ETS was bad for their pet made them more motivated to quit. A further 8.7 percent said knowing the effects of ETS on animals would encourage them to ask their partners to quit.
One alternative to smoking is electronic cigarettes, a battery powered vaporizer that simulates traditional tobacco smoking with an aerosol that resembles smoke. These e-cigs eliminate odors and other residue caused by traditional smoking, but those who switch should be aware that the liquids inside them are poisonous to both animals and humans if ingested or exposed to skin. Animals are at extra risk if these are ingested because the liquids usually contain antifreeze and glycerin, which pose serious threats to animals.