If you use nicotine, so does your pet!

It’s an alarming reality that if you smoke, your pet smokes. Your animal companions join the harmful circle of secondhand smoke when you use nicotine, as they are exposed to toxic chemicals and particles that jeopardize their well-being. The information below provides 5 truths about nicotine’s effects on pets and offers some steps you can take to make your home a place of clean air for you and your beloved animals.

1. Smoking creates health problems for your pet.

Smoking can have health consequences not only for you, but also for your pet. Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and some are extremely poisonous. In fact, dogs and cats who are owned by people who smoke face double the risk of lung cancer, along with a heightened threat of heart disease, other cancers, and respiratory difficulties.

2. Vaping also causes health issues for animals.

Inhaling vape fumes causes respiratory problems for animals that could potentially lead to cancers. Just the aerosol fumes from vapes contain toxic and poisonous chemicals, and the e-liquid cartridges are even more dangerous. If e-liquid is ingested it can cause serious damage to your pet’s organs and require immediate veterinarian contact.

3. Health problems for your pet don’t just stop at the smoke.

Directly inhaling smoke is not the only danger for pets. Even when you’re not actively puffing, toxic particles cling to surfaces, carpets, and your pet. It’s an invisible film of poison that your pet ingests every time they lick their fur, preen their feathers, or snuggle on the couch.

4. Because of thirdhand smoke, smoking away from your pets is potentially dangerous too.

Even if you smoke outside and away from your pets, smoke particles don’t just dissipate in the air, but settle on your clothing and skin. When your pet comes in contact with you after you smoke, they are at risk. Which means, even a loving lick or playful cuddle can lead your pet to ingesting toxic particles.

5. No pet is safe from the dangers of smoking.

It’s not just our larger pets who suffer under the shroud of secondhand smoke. Research shows the toxins for nicotine products reach even the smallest creatures. Guinea pigs and rabbits can develop respiratory problems and even our aquatic friends like fish aren’t safe. Tiny toxic particles can find their way into tanks and poison gills and membranes.

Protect your animal friends. You hold the key to your pet’s clean air and health. While you may have the choice to use nicotine, your pet doesn’t. Choosing to quit nicotine products will make both you and your pets healthier. We know quitting isn’t easy, so Way to Quit offers free resources to provide extra support to help make your journey a little easier.