Cigarettes and Pets

by John Hallett, DVM

When I examine a dog or cat in our treatment room, away from the owner, I can almost always tell if the pet is from a smoking household. The smell of cigarettes lingers on their fur. That's not all that is lingering on their fur though. 

Most people understand that secondhand smoke from cigarettes contains an incredible number of hazardous substances and many of them can cause cancer. These chemicals are found in high concentrations on carpets and furniture around the home. Pets sharing this environment will get these toxins on their fur and then ingest them during normal grooming.

Cats may actually be at higher risk for serious disease when they live in a smoking environment.   Because of their fastidious grooming habits, cats end up ingesting a higher level of chemicals and this leads to a greater chance of several types of cancer.

Lymphoma is a cancer of white blood cells and is one of the most common cancers seen in our pet cats. When smokers are present in the cat’s household, the risk for this killer is increased by two or three times over cats living in non-smoking homes.  Sadly, when our feline friends are diagnosed with lymphoma, the prognosis can be poor.

Another serious cancer with links to secondhand smoke is a cancer of the mouth known as squamous cell carcinoma. Studies have linked a higher risk for squamous cell carcinoma in cats living in smoking homes. Again, the prognosis is very grave and most pets won’t survive another year.

Dogs are affected too.  In the early 1990s, researchers found correlations between nasal cancers in dogs and the presence of smokers in the home.  There is a concern that environmental tobacco smoke may increase the incidence of lung cancer in our canine friends as well.

Pets who are developing illnesses from secondhand smoke may exhibit symptoms ranging from lethargy to coughing to the appearance of masses in the mouth.  It’s important to have your pet seen by a veterinarian if any of these signs are noted.

Of course, the best course of action is to give up the tobacco habit entirely.  It’s not only best for the health of the smoker, it will also greatly reduce risks for pets. Understanding that it’s not easy to quit this addictive habit, people who smoke and have pets should attempt to minimize their pets’ exposure by smoking outdoors.

Smoking in the car with pets can create a toxic environment, even with the windows open.  Some states and Canadian provinces even ban smoking in cars when children are passengers.  If you must smoke when you drive, leave your pets and kids at home.

In the past 45 years, the number of smokers in the United States has decreased to less than 20% of the population and almost 70% of those current smokers want to kick the habit. Could an understanding of how secondhand smoke affects our pets help encourage more people to quit? When I practiced in Connecticut, I do remember one client who quit smoking when her cat was diagnosed with feline asthma which was aggravated by cigarette smoke!