Secondhand smoke affects pets
By Christine Cowett Robinson
Special to The Star-Herald
We all love our pets and want to do what is right for them. We want to buy the best food, provide the best medical attention and lots of love. What some people don’t understand is that some pets’ issues are environmental. We have all read about the dangers of secondhand smoke, but have you thought about how your secondhand smoke affects your pet? A Healthy Maine Partnership provides us with the following information.
Dog Facts: Cancer-causing agents can be found in a dog’s hair and urine for months after being around secondhand smoke. Dogs whose owners smoke are twice as likely to develop cancer. Long-nosed dogs tend to get nasal and sinus cancer, while short-nosed dogs tend to get lung cancer.
Cat facts: Secondhand smoke gets on the cat’s fur. When a cat cleans itself, it gets a large dose of the chemicals in the smoke. Cats who are exposed to secondhand smoke are three times as likely to develop lymphoma, a deadly cancer.
Fish facts: Smoke from burning tobacco can settle into home aquariums. Many of the poisons in secondhand smoke including nicotine and ammonia are highly toxic to gold fish. Tobacco under the fingernails or nicotine-stained fingers can also pollute aquarium water and poison fish.
You may be killing your beloved animals without even knowing it.
Being a responsible pet owner is not a difficult task; it is common sense to most of us, but to others it is a mystery. What makes someone a responsible pet owner? Here are some examples:
• Thinking about the responsibilities of pet ownership before adopting;
• Getting your pet spayed or neutered;
• Making sure you can care for your pet throughout its lifetime;
• Putting a collar and identification tags on your pet with your address and phone number on it;
• Taking the time and patience to train your pet by using praise and attending training classes if needed;
• Making sure your pet is taken care of when you go away;
• Spending time with your pet each day by exercising and giving lots of love and attention;
• Grooming your pet regularly;
• Giving your pet shelter with a comfortable, quiet, dry place to sleep and rest; and
• Taking your pet to the veterinarian for regular checkups and treatment for illness.
These are simple things that can make a huge difference in your life, your pet’s life and your community. A well-rounded pet who is taken care of responsibly is a joy for everyone to be around and one happy pet!
Things have been crazy this summer at the shelter, too many cats and now too many dogs! Spaying and neutering is the key to beating the unwanted pet overpopulation issue.
If you are looking for a friend for life, please visit the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. You can call us at 764-3441 or visit us online.
Please have your pets spayed or neutered.
