It is well known that the harmful effects of tobacco do not only affect the smoker. Relatives also suffer the consequences, and among them, our little furballs are no exception. Yes, smokers often forget it, or sometimes ignore it, but the risk they pose to their pets is indeed present and it is far from trivial.
The possibility for pets to contract disease is greatly increased in a smoking household. Firstly, because they also inhale the smoke, but also because the toxic residues of the latter become encrusted in their coat (which is all the more dangerous for cats whose meticulous grooming facilitates the absorption of these harmful substances). Result:the risk of developing cancer of the nasal cavity or of contracting allergies is increased tenfold. What's more, animals are more vulnerable than we are to passive smoking since their respiratory rate is higher than that of humans. They therefore swallow even more quickly and in greater quantity the toxic gas contained in cigarette smoke, as explained by veterinarian Brigitte Henriquez at Huffington Post . And if that weren't enough, diseases and their symptoms occur much more quickly in our beloved pets than in us.
A new motivation, and not the least (well yes, we wish our little furballs only good!) to try to quit smoking, right?! What if we started by taking up the challenge of the month without tobacco?
