How To Keep Your Pets Safe From Secondhand Smoke in the House

Your indoor air quality is important to maintain throughout your household. While you may be thinking about keeping clean air just for the sake of you and your family members, it impacts your four-legged family members as well. Pets can be negatively impacted by allergens and spores in the air, putting them at risk for certain health issues. One of the greatest factors can be lingering secondhand smoke, and there are ways to curb the concerns surrounding potential conditions for your furry friends.

Pets breathe what we breathe.

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Tobacco users and smokers are commonplace and often choose to spark up inside their homes. For those who roll their own cigars and cigarillos, Al Capone Wraps provide a durable leaf wrap to give a selective smoker the aroma of something that pairs well with the tobacco inside their cigar, such as a fine liquor like cognac. While these cigars offer users a great puff, the filtration is limited, and secondhand smoke can linger within any air space.

You may have seen the surgeon’s general warning on the side of a pack of cigarettes or other tobacco products. This alerts you to the potential for lung cancer and emphysema with prolonged use of these carcinogenic products. This puts your pets at just as much risk. Nicotine levels in dogs routinely exposed to secondhand smoke were found to be similar to those of humans exposed to the same amount of smoke. Dogs and cats inhale tobacco smoke, receiving a double dose when they clean their fur. Nicotine residue lingers in and on hair and is right there for your puppy or kitty to lap on up when they groom themselves.

Secondhand Smoke Impact

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Secondhand and even thirdhand smoke can have a tremendous negative impact on pets. Dogs suffer from smoking-related illnesses similar to what humans can develop, like cancer and lung disease. Exposure limits a dog’s respiratory function, as the accumulation of carbon inhibits the development of lung expansion for younger dogs and constricts those vessels within older canines. Cats are put at greater risk of lymphoma due to high exposure to environmental smoke from their cat perch and even oral cancer due to years of being caught in their cat bed in a cloud of secondhand smoke.

One of the easiest ways to keep your pets safe from smoke exposure is regular cleaning of your indoor spaces. This includes scrubbing carpeting, flooring, or even cat shelves where the odor of tobacco may find itself lingering over an extended period of time. Cozy beds can also attract that tobacco smoke, yours and your pet’s. Comforters and other linens can attract that smell, leaving the lingering nicotine to be absorbed by your hair or your pet.

Protect your pets.

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Protecting your pet is a round-the-clock job, and keeping a clean environment for your dog or cat is key to their respiratory and overall health. You may want to invest in custom cat condos for your feline friends. A clean environment also allows cats the ability to settle their own smell into a cat shelf or other toys within a cardboard-structured condo. Cats depend heavily on their own scent to feel safe and comfortable. Cardboard retains a cat’s scent in a way that enables them to have their own comfy place.

Whether your pets are extra-large cats or tiny dogs, keeping them clean is key as well to avoid lingering carcinogens. Wash your pets regularly, shampooing them with all-natural soaps to make sure that their hair and skin are properly cared for. This will help to eliminate some of what causes lung cancer and better overall boost the chance of your pet avoiding these ailments. After all, you want your four-legged friend around for a long time.