Cigarette Smoking and Dogs

edited August 2008 in General
I quit last August... until my birthday when I had one. That seems to have broken my resolve and, since I've been really down and it's summer vacation for the opera company and my creative streak seems to have evaporated, I am desperate for one. I can't get it off my mind. I had hoped that I was done with these intense cravings and vicious moodiness, but I guess not. The only thing the has seen progress is my quest for a rescue shiba fluffbaby. Anyway, I was all set to by a pack today to keep myself sane when a random thing crossed my mind, my last dog absolutly hated the smell of smoke on me, could it be harmful to dogs or could it impare my bonding with my new dog?

Shadow would would avoid getting to close to me when I'd come home smelling like an ashtray. It especially bothered her if I sat next to her because the smoke smell was in my hair. She seemed to really hate it. I was wondering if anyone had heard about this or if Shadow was just a little weirdo. I don't want to do all of this work and then have something so stupid create difficulty for me and my fluffbaby.

And to any of you who may be thinking of picking up this habit - please don't. I dont' regret much, but I do regret starting to smoke.

BTW - I do not smoke in the house at all so the dog wouldn't be dealing with prolonged exposure. I like to pretend my parents never knew about my smoking and they like to believe me when I say I've stopped.

Comments

  • edited November -1
    I have heard of lung issues and tumors in dogs that belonged to people who smoked... Based on what it does to the human body in both first and second hand smoke, I imagine dogs also suffer from living with a smoker.
  • edited November -1
    She said she doesn't smoke inside so there wouldn't be a worry about health effects.

    However it will be best for you if you can continue trying to kick the habbit. You will also have extra money to spend on your new pup.
  • edited November -1
    Well we won't lecture you about kicking the habit. Maybe taking up some agility with a dog would help so you can work on the course obstacles instead of smoking. I know easier said than done..

    Anyway, the Shibas and some of the more primitive breeds tend to snort at smokers hand/faces etc or those with bad smells. I noticed some dogs whos owners smoke have a higher propensity to runny eye problems and coughing. It also distorts scent if you plan on doing tracking or other field work.

    Snf
  • edited November -1
    I'm not sure about if you smoke no where near the pet, but if your walking them and smoking? But I am a technician at a veterinary hospital and there is, just like with people a definitive link to respiratory disease in animals who's owners smoke including asthma and cancer...etc. I often see these cats and dogs with asthma who's owners bring them in and spend a fortune on medical treatments to treat the asthma, but every time the animal comes in smelling like it rolled itself in a plume of smoke. If they would only quit, their animal would either need much less frequent treatment or even lose the disease altogether, as someone with asthma, it is a horrible burden and if my disease could be possibly stopped by my loved one giving up a habit I would sincerely hope they would do it . There is a possible link also to skin problems as the smoke has a damaging effect.
    I understand it is hard to quit. I myself started young and smoked for 8 years through middle school and high school (bad neighborhood) and after I quit cold turkey, I have not smoked in over 9 years now. The hardest thing was figuring out what to do with my hands without a cigarette in it, the additive properties of the cigarettes made me go through a 2 week horrible withdrawal, where I was very mean! You have to find a positive habit to replace the negative one like training your new shiba and if you have a lease in hand you don't have to think about the cigarette thats not in it!
    About them not liking the smell, cigarettes are not just made of tobacco three are lots of chemicals included, I know after I quit and could smell normally again, you can smell how noxious cigarette smoke is and don't want it around and we smell people who just went out to have a cigarette and how powerful and noxious it is on them and our sense of smell is about 1/ 1000th of the dogs imagine what they smell! Who knows if dogs power of scent is so strong they can smell cancer in the human body, then perhaps it is damaging to them just to smell the smoke on you as they are inhaling scent molecules? This has not been properly studied, but why risk it.
    Sorry about the soliloquy just thought I would pass on my experiences as someone who has struggled to do the right thing as well!
    Good luck!
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