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Smoke can damage sensitive lungs in a pet. Additionally, noxious fumes can cause a cold that can lead to more serious, life-threatening conditions.
Smoke inhalation quickly irritates an animal's throat because animals have a shorter esophagus than humans.
Just as smoke affects furniture, rugs, curtains, etc. smoke also affects a pet's living quarters and gets into pet's fur and skin. A cats hair continuously traps large quantities of smoke particles just like drapery, furniture and clothing. The cat sniffs and inhales these concentrated particles from his fur while grooming which leads to lymphoma in nasal passages and intestines as well as chest.
Some pets are allergic to smoke.
Animals have a very acute sense of smell and odor of smoke is very offensive to them.
Nicotine is a highly toxic chemical. Some pets may suffer effects of nicotine poisoning when exposed to high concentrations.
If a pet has respiratory allergies such as asthma, illness is going to be worsened by constantly breathing second hand smoke.
Respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, and a collapsing trachea are most common possible causes of a chronic cough in dogs. The constant irritation eventually causes trachea to lose its round open shape. It begins to collapse resulting in even more coughing and irritation, and to an untreatable, intolerable condition usually leading to euthanasia.
So next time you light up, think of air that your beloved pet is being forced to inhale.
Here is more information on helping you to kick smoking habit:
http://www.apluswriting.net/smoking/smokingpets.htm
Author: Marilyn Pokorney Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading. Website: http://www.apluswriting.net