Of all the compelling reasons to quit smoking, this one should make dog lovers sit up and take notice: there’s ample scientific evidence to suggest secondhand smoke can cause cancer in companion animals.
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that dogs in smoking households had a 60 percent greater risk of lung cancer; a different study showed long-nosed dogs, such as collies or greyhounds, were twice as likely to develop nasal cancer if they lived with smokers.
Furry friends don’t just inhale smoke; the smoke particles get trapped in their fur and ingested when they groom themselves with their tongues, which can lead to throat and oral tumors, says Dr. Diane Levitan of the Center for Specialized Veterinary Care in Westbury, NY. "Smoke inhalation can also initiate allergic airway disease and asthma," she adds.
Many people are kicking the habit – not for their own sake, but for their beloved dogs’ well-being. They were OK polluting their own lungs, but they draw the line at fouling the air their pets breathe.
"A few years ago, my toy poodle Natasha was wheezing," says Bonnie Tischler of Brooklyn. A lifelong smoker, she went through 10 cigarettes a day; an earlier attempt to quit didn’t stick. "but when the vet said it would be beneficial to my dog if I stopped, I quit cold turkey."
