Pet health and passive smoking

Pharmacists have again been involved in the annual government anti-smoking campaign culminating in No Smoking Day, held this year on 11 March (2009).

Over the years advertising campaigns have used various tactics, such as concentrating on the health benefits of giving up, the social stigma caused by the smell of stale smoke on clothes and breath, and tobacco’s cosmetic effects such as staining the teeth and fingers.

This year the focus was on the effect the habit has on the children of smokers, and the upset caused by the prospect of having a parent die of the disease.

Recent research suggests that a future campaign could concentrate on the relationship between pet owners and their pets as a means to persuade smokers to quit.

Researchers in the US found that almost a third of pet owners who smoked said that information on the dangers of pet exposure to second-hand smoke would motivate them to try to give up smoking, and almost a quarter of non-smokers said they would ask their partners either to give up smoking or smoke outside.

The studies found that dogs, cats and birds are all at risk of tobacco-related cancers. Cats are susceptible to squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth, and the incidence is higher in cats living in smoky places than in those in smoke-free homes.

The problem arises because cats constantly lick themselves while grooming, removing carcinogens derived from second-hand smoke with their tongues. Cats from smoking environments are also twice as likely to develop malignant lymphoma than those from non-smoking homes.

In dogs, second-hand smoke is associated with an increased occurrence of nasal and sinus cancer and, to a lesser extent, an increase in lung cancer. Long-nosed dogs have a greater surface area in their noses, which leads an accumulation of carcinogens, and these breeds tend to suffer from nasal and sinus cancer.

Short-nosed breeds show an increase in lung cancer, because their nasal passages are less effective at accumulating the carcinogens and allow more to reach the lungs.

The respiratory systems of pet birds are particularly sensitive, with pneumonia and lung cancer caused by second-hand smoke. Other health risks include eye, skin and heart problems.