Photo courtesy of lanier67/Flickr
Smokers have a new reason to think about putting down those cigarettes. Ongoing research indicates that second-hand smoke can be harmful to your pets.
We've all heard how second-hand smoke is harmful to others, but recent studies are showing that those same toxins that are dangerous to people are also dangerous to animals.
Toxins from second-hand smoke can cause allergy and respiratory problems in pets. More severe conditions include lung and nasal cancer in dogs and malignant lymphoma in cats.
Second-hand smoke isn't the only danger when cigarettes are in the home. Nicotine is highly toxic if eaten by pets, resulting in weakness, decreased breathing rate, and possibly death.
In honor of April being Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, Legacy, a national public health organization, and the ASPCA are asking smokers to take their habit outdoors or kick the habit altogether.