I know first hand that pet owners will go to extreme measures to keep their pets healthy and happily pampered. But if they won’t quit smoking for themselves will they quit for the pooch or the kitty cat? A new survey suggests that pet owners who are reluctant to quit smoking to save their own lives would consider quitting if they were told second hand smoke would harm their four legged friends.
A recent study led by Dr. Sharon Milberger of the Henry Ford Health Systems in Michigan reported that secondhand smoke has been associated with a variety of problems in pets, including lymphomas in cats and nasal and lung cancer in dogs. Pet birds have also been adversely affected by secondhand smoke.
Among the pet owners who smoked 28 percent said knowing that they were putting their pets at risk would make an effort to quit, 19 percent would not allow smoking in their home, and forty percent expressed interest in information on quitting.
Anti-smoking advocates may want to reach out to vetinary offices, humane societies and pet stores to post educational material. This new information may be especially beneficial to pet owners who live alone with their fury friend.
