STILLWATER, Okla., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A U.S. veterinarian said recent studies show that secondhand smoke is a health threat to house pets such as dogs, cats and birds.
Dr. Carolynn MacAllister, a Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service veterinarian, said secondhand smoke has been associated with oral cancer and lymphoma in cats, lung and nasal cancer in dogs and lung cancer in birds.
A study at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University found the incidence of mouth cancer was higher for cats living with smokers.
"Cats constantly lick themselves while grooming, therefore they lick up the cancer-causing carcinogens that accumulate on their fur," MacAllister said Friday in a release. "This grooming behavior exposes the mucous membrane of their mouth to the cancer-causing carcinogens."
A study at Colorado State University said there is a higher incidence of nasal tumors in dogs living in a home with secondhand smoke compared to dogs living in a smoke free environment.
She said longer-nosed breeds of dogs are more likely to get nasal cancer, while shorter or medium nosed dogs had higher rates for lung cancer.
