Smoking is dangerous not just for humans, but for pets too

It is not only the non-smoking human beings who get affected by second-hand smoke. Pets in households with smokers are also at a greater risk to health problems.

In the US alone, smoking accounts for around one in five deaths annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is the reason behind 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths in men and women, and a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, among other diseases. What is worse, however, is that it also has an adverse impact on the health of non-smokers.

A new research now shows that these non-smokers also include pet animals. The study, which is still ongoing, suggests that smoking has a serious effect on the health of pet dogs and cats, reports Medical News Today.

The research team, led by Clare Knottenbelt, professor of Small Animal Medicine and Oncology at the University of Glasgow UK, analysed the nicotine levels in the fur of animals. They also examined the link between nicotine levels and health problems.

The researchers found that compared with pets living in non-smoking households, those living in smoking households were possibly at a greater risk of cell damage, certain kinds of cancers and even weight gain.

The study found cats to be at the maximum risk since they tend to ingest more smoke than dogs, regardless of whether or not they have access to the outdoors. The researchers attribute this to the extensive grooming undertaken by cats.

The research team also analysed the testicles of castrated dogs from smoking households. This led to the identification of a gene that represents a sign of cell damage related to certain kinds of cancers. They also found that dogs living in smoking households gained more weight after being neutered than dogs from non-smoking households.

An earlier study, conducted in 2013, had found that cigarette smoke could be harmful to the lungs of pets as much as to a child’s lungs. Veterinarians have reported incidences where an owner quits smoking and their pet's lung problems or disease improves, reports the Medical Daily.