Our pet is like a family member, so we only want
what’s best for it.
We wouldn’t want to harm it intentionally, but sometimes we do it without
realizing. One of the biggest threats to our pets’ health and safety is our
nicotine addiction. Smoking classical or e-cigarettes near a dog, cat, fish or
any other friend from the animal kingdom means actually poisoning that creature.
Nicotine is
dangerous for every living being, not just for humans. There are many ways in
which the substance can get into our pet’s system, but you should know that
every time you use classical or e-cigarettes near it you are one step closer to
harming it. Nicotine
and pets simply don’t get along and if you are not careful, you might have
to choose between your friend and cigarettes.
Alarming symptoms
If you notice
that you pet is vomiting, has diarrhea, is trembling, drooling or hyper-salivating,
has an unusual behavior, doesn’t want to play with children or has seizures,
remember if you smoked or vaped near it. If you did, nicotine intoxication is,
most probably the cause, so you should take immediate action unless you don’t
want to lose it. You read it well – pets might lose their life as a result of
nicotine poisoning.
How can animals be exposed to this hazard
The dangerous
substance can get into the animals’ system the same way it gets into a human
body. The difference is that the impact is far more severe in what pets are
concerned. Next, let’s see how animals can end up intoxicated by nicotine.
- By chewing and snuffing tobacco. In case this
happens, you should get professional help from a licensed veterinarian or
Animal Poison Control (ASPCA);
- Shisha Tobacco tastes sweet and it can have
different flavours. If it leaks somewhere, pets might be tempted to lick
it and this would be very harmful for them. If you notice any of the
symptoms mentioned before, call a vet immediately;
- Dissolvable tobacco should be kept away from
reach of children and pets;
- Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) mean
different products which contain nicotine in various quantities: patches,
gum, inhalers, nasal sprays and others. Of course, some of them are
flavoured, so if a pet reaches them, it will lick or chew them. If this
happens, a vet will tell you what to do;
- Kreteks (also known as Cloves) can kill your pet, so be
very careful when you use them. Don’t think that your dog cannot eat a
whole clove cigarette;
- Pipe Tobacco or Loose Leaf can be chewed by dogs,
ferret or Guinea Pig;
- E-juice or e-liquid for vaping comes in
recipients that can be chewed by dogs. Also, if they get a hold of your PV
(Personal Vaporizer) that can intoxicate with the liquids found there;
- Second and third hand smoking or vaporising will
affect pets in more serious matter. If they inhale the smoke, the
intoxication will be severe. Call your vet as soon as you notice any of
the described symptoms.
In all cases,
don’t induce vomiting, because the process can be even more traumatizing than
the intoxication. You should do that only in the extreme case when you cannot
reach a vet on time. As we can conclude, smoking is bad for our health, so
smokers should protect those around them more unless they decide to quit
smoking.
