• 9/10/2007
  • Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Claire Weaver
  • Daily Telegraph (www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph)

Research shows dogs, cats and birds are developing virulent cancers and dying from exposure to their owners’ cigarette smoke. Like babies and children, small animals, including birds, have been found to be vulnerable to the effects of passive smoking, which can trigger lymphoma and deadly oral, lung and nasal cancers. Vets warn that pets in smoking households are far more likely to get sick and have shorter lives than those in smoke-free homes.

A study by the Tuft College of Veterinary Medicine in the US reveals a strong link between second-hand smoke and squamous cell carcinoma – or mouth cancer – in cats. Because they lick themselves while grooming, cats consume deadly doses of carcinogens that build upon their fur from cigarette smoke.

Dogs are at greater risk of lung and nasal cancer, which kills most of its victims within 12 months. Long-nosed dogs such as schnauzers are more likely to have nasal tumours, whereas short-nosed breeds such as bulldogs or pugs are more prone to lung cancer.

Sydney veterinary surgeon Phil Brain, of the Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association, says cancer is an increasingly frequent diagnosis in pets. Dr Brain is treating lymphoma patient Basil, a dog whose owners do not smoke, with chemotherapy.

“We have diagnosed three or four cases of lung cancer in dogs, and they have all been in smoking households, so that’s an interesting connection,” he says.