http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/pets.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/north-west-health-experts-warn-about-passive-smoking-risk-to-pets-1.684402?referrerPath=/1.50001 http://tobacco.org/news/298805.html North west health experts are warning pet owners about the little-known risks of passive smoking on dogs, cats and other creatures. They say as many as 750,000 household pets in the region could be at risk from illnesses like asthma, respiratory infections or even death as a result of inhaling their owners' second-hand smoke. The north west has some of the highest smoking rates in the country and 44 per cent of the region's homes have a pet - mostly a dog, cat or bird. Now Smokefree North West and the British Veterinary Association are asking smokers to consider the health of their furry friends in the run-up to National Pet Month. Andrea Crossfield, director of Smokefree North West, said: "Our pets are part of the family and they have as much right to be protected from second-hand smoke as our children and loved ones. News & Star UK Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://www.metro.co.uk/news/816950-cigarettes-still-being-tested-on-lab-animals http://tobacco.org/news/298324.html Mice and rats were forced to breathe smoke to examine the safety of new ingredients, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection claimed. The studies were held by Marlboro-maker Philip Morris and Camel manufacturer RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, the group said. 'It is outrageous that, in this day and age, tobacco companies continue to subject animals to these horrific tests when we all know how harmful smoking is to our health,' said BUAV boss Michelle Thew. 'Smoking is a lifestyle choice and it's unacceptable animals should suffer and die for companies to modify their products.' Tests on animals involving tobacco have been banned in Britain since 1997 but the organisation said studies continued in Europe and the US. Metro Café Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/wacky/hard-living-chimp-sent-to-rehab/story-e6frev20-1225835951937 http://tobacco.org/news/297779.html A HARD-LIVING chimpanzee has been sent to rehab by worried zookeepers in a bid to cure him of his addictions to cigarettes and booze. Ex-circus performer Zhora picked up his vices after moving to a zoo in the southern Russian city of Rostov. "The beer and cigarettes were ruining him. He would pester passers-by for booze," the local Komsomolskaya Pravda paper said. Daily Telegraph/Sunday Telegraph PHOTO@DAILYTELEGRAPH.COM.AU Russia Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wickedlocal.com/walpole/news/lifestyle/x925450332/Ask-Dog-Lady-Secondhand-smoke-harmful-to-humans-and-dogs http://tobacco.org/news/297547.html A petite Maltese has much smaller lungs than a human. If secondhand smoke is toxic for our lungs, can you imagine how it impacts your dog - or any living creature in your smoggy orbit? Just quit. Put on the nicotine patch, chew the gum, suck the lozenge, stop cold turkey, whatever it takes. There's no easy way to quit smoking when you have been addicted for a while. You must tough it out no matter what method you use. Take it day-by-day. Walk your dog a lot. Eventually, the cravings become less intense and you begin to feel deep relief. Look into the innocent face of your dog if you need moral support. Dog Lady has struggled with this. Finally, she quit, with no small amount of help from her canine coach. Darling dog was always good to go for a walk, which helped step by step. Let your dog breathe free and allow him the pleasure of walking you smokeless. Dogs can provide compelling reminders of why we want to live. Wicked Local askdoglady@gmail.com (Columnist Monica Collins, www.askdoglady.com GateHouse News Service) Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2010/02/new-center-for-consumer-freedom-website-targets-humane-society-of-the-united-states.html http://tobacco.org/news/297439.html The Center for Consumer Freedom -- headed up by a lobbyist for the food, alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries named Richard Berman -- has long been at odds with groups like PETA and the Humane Society of the United States. (For the record, though, it has also worked to discredit non-animal-related advocacy groups including Mothers Against Drunk Driving through its ActivistCash.com website. Another of its websites, ObesityMyths.com, attempts to debunk what it describes as "myths" about human health. Among those "myths": "Obesity will shorten life expectancy" and "Obesity has made diabetes epidemic.") Now, though, the CCF has ratcheted up the rhetoric against the Humane Society by launching a new website devoted to discrediting the group: HumaneWatch.org. As part of HumaneWatch's kickoff, the Center purchased a full-page ad in the New York Times that argues that the Humane Society "gives less than one-half of 1% of its $100-million budget to hands-on pet shelters." Los Angeles Times blogs Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.kmeg.com/Global/story.asp?S=10228162&nav=menu609_6_5_5 http://tobacco.org/news/297118.html You probably wouldn't encourage a toddler to smoke, but if you subject your pet to secondhand smoke, you might as well be offering kitty a cigarette. "The correlation is similar to what is seen in children: Smaller lungs have less reserve and are more likely to be affected," says Laura Sullivan, DVM, of Cascade Hospital for Animals, in Grand Rapids, Mich. Recent studies confirm Dr. Sullivan's assertion, warning that secondhand smoke may lead to deadly diseases in your cat. So if personal health risks haven't compelled you and your houseguests to quit smoking yet, there is a new incentive: the well-being of your cat. . . . Regular baths, or at the very least wipe-downs with a damp cloth, can help remove smoke residue from cat fur, says Dr. Dickie. Vacuum and keep all cigarette butts, tobacco products and even nicotine patches out of sight to prevent accidental illness, poisoning or even death. . . . Look for symptoms Excessive drooling or difficulty eating are symptoms of oral cancer, while labored breathing is a sign of lung cancer. Observe your cat frequently, since catching diseases early on always helps with treatment. If something is out of the ordinary, contact your veterinarian immediately. The best solution of all? Quitting if you're a smoker -- and encouraging cigarette-carrying visitors to do the same. In the words of Dr. Dickie: "Why expose your beloved furry friend to a potentially preventable disease?" KMEG CBS 14 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.10news.com/news/22466397/detail.html http://tobacco.org/news/296536.html A man and his dog escaped unharmed from his burning apartment in City Heights early Thursday, but his cat perished in the blaze, which was sparked by a discarded cigarette, a San Diego fire official said. The fire broke out about 7:30 a.m. on the second floor of a two-story apartment building at 4250 Swift Ave., near El Cajon Boulevard, said Maurice Luque of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. KGTV-Ch. 10 Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20102020303 http://tobacco.org/news/296422.html MUNCIE -- Kristen Goodwin was awakened from a nap by her 3-year-old son who had a simple message for her. "The house is on fire," said the toddler. . . . "We know where the fire started, but there's no good explanation for why it started," Clevenger said. "It started near a child's bed and near a computer desk. On the desk were multiple electrical cords, ashtrays and maybe even candles. "Whether this child knocked over a candle or ashtray full of smoking material we don't know." . . . While Goodwin and her son escaped the fire, which started in an upstairs bedroom, two female dogs and several puppies didn't Muncie Star-Press seths@muncie.gannett.com (SETH SLABAUGH) Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2010/01/23/012410_1a_Rincon_Drive_fire.html http://tobacco.org/news/295959.html Six cats died and an elderly Orchard Mesa woman was seriously injured in a house fire Saturday evening in a residential neighborhood near the Mesa County Fairgrounds. The Grand Junction Fire Department responded to the fire at 198 Rincon Drive about 7:30 p.m. with seven units and 22 responders, according to a Fire Department news release. An elderly woman was found during a primary search of the home, and she was rescued and taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The woman was in serious condition with burns and smoke inhalation, Fire Department spokesman Mike Page said. Betty Osborne, who lives two houses down from 198 Rincon Drive, said 85-year-old Phyllis Williams lived alone in the single-story, gray home with her pet cats. Grand Junction Daily Sentinel webmaster@gjds.com (MELINDA MAWDSLEY/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel) Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2010/01/25/012610_3a_fatal_fire_folo.html http://tobacco.org/news/295958.html A fire that killed an elderly woman inside her home over the weekend was accidentally sparked by a cigarette left on a couch, fire investigators said Monday. The Mesa County Coroner's Office confirmed that 85-year-old Phyllis Williams died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation and ruled her death an accident. . . . Mike Page, spokesman for the Grand Junction Fire Department, said Williams was a smoker and likely fell asleep on the couch while smoking. Grand Junction Daily Sentinel webmaster@gjds.com (MIKE WIGGINS/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel) Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.avmamedia.org/display.asp?sid=209&tid=207&NAME=Kick_the_Habit,_for_You_and_Your_Pets http://tobacco.org/news/295566.html Dr. John Reif, professor at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, talks about the health risks of tobacco smoke to pets. American Veterinary Medical Association medialibrary@avma.org Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/12/30/Rules-would-ban-buggy-smoking/UPI-75111262213034/ http://tobacco.org/news/294799.html The New York City Health Department is proposing new rules governing horses in Central Park, including a ban on smoking in buggies. Department officials said the rules, which could be enforced as early as March, would ban buggy drivers from making their horses work after 3 a.m. and force them to give the horses five vacation days per year, the New York Post reported Wednesday. UPI Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091222/NEWS0104/312229999 http://tobacco.org/news/294521.html The State Fire Marshal's Office says a 49 year old Sanford man has died from smoke inhalation after the futon-couch in his apartment caught fire. The fire that killed Paul Vallee was discovered Monday afternoon, but fire investigators say the fire likely took place last week. A maintenance man discovered the fire when he entered Vallee's apartment to check on him. . . . Investigators say smoking is the likely cause of the fire as they found an ash tray on the remains of the couch. The fire likely took place last Monday or Tuesday. Vallee lived in the apartment alone with his cat, which also died in the fire . Foster's Democrat Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.ksat.com/health/21729818/detail.html http://tobacco.org/news/293348.html New evidence shows second-hand smoking can harm pets because of the smoke particles that fall on dogs and cats, increasing their risk for cancer. "These are not animals. They are members of our family. These are our children, now, " said Dr. Stacy Renee Randall, DVM, of the South Texas Veterinary Center in Stone Oak. Randall is well aware of the new studies on second-hand smoking on pets since she treats animals with cancer daily. One thing Randall has noticed is that once pet lovers discover second-hand smoke is causing cancer in companion animals, many pet lovers begin to realize the dangers of smoking. KSAT-12 rrios@ksat.com (Rosenda Rios, KSAT 12 News Reporter ) Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary news/Some-dog-breeds-more-sensitive-to-cigarette-smoke/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/643634?contextCategoryId=378 http://tobacco.org/news/293214.html Secondhand smoke can trigger a variety of diseases in dogs, with a higher likelihood in certain breedsm, according to Dr. John Reif, professor at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. For example, short-nosed breeds like pugs and pit bulls were twice as likely to contract lung cancer. Longer-nosed breeds like collies and German shepherds were two-and-a-half times more likely to get nasal cancer. Cocker spaniels, boxers, and retrievers are more prone to lymphoma than other breeds. Dr. Reif revealed his findings on an American Veterinary Medical Association podcast. DVM 360 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT