Q: Is it true that secondhand smoke can increase the risk of lung cancer in pets?
Answer from Dr. Helen Ross, medical oncologist, The Oregon Clinic: While research data are still limited, recent studies have linked secondhand smoke in the home to higher rates of cancer and respiratory illnesses in cats and dogs.
In two separate studies performed at Colorado State University in the 1990s, researchers found that dogs living with smokers have higher rates of both lung and nasal cancer. A 2002 study conducted by Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Massachusetts found that cats in smoking households are more than two times as likely to develop a cancer called feline lymphoma than those in non-smoking households. Other studies suggest secondhand smoke in homes is responsible for higher rates of asthma in cats.
Secondhand smoke affects the air that pets breathe and produces tobacco residue that accumulates on animal fur. Cats and dogs swallow this residue when they groom themselves, and some pets even like to eat cigarette butts left in unattended ashtrays! According to the American Lung Association, secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including 200 that are poisonous and 43 that are known to cause cancer.
The only effective way to shield your pet and others in your home from the effects of secondhand smoke is to quit smoking. There are many excellent programs available to help you accomplish this goal, including our Ready, Set, Stop! e-mail based smoking cessation program.
If quitting is not something you feel you can do right now, you can take measures to limit your pet’s exposure, such as restricting smoking to outdoor areas and washing your hands before handling your pet.
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June 2003
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