Just like humans, there are no safe levels of secondhand smoke exposure for pets, according to the the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals website. Toxins in secondhand smoke can cause lung and nasal cancer in dogs and malignant lymphoma in cats, along with allergy and respiratory problems in other pets, according to the website.
As part of April's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, the ASPCA challenged pet owners in April to quit smoking. The ASPCA also linked up with the American Legacy Foundation, a stop-smoking group, to spread the word to the pet lovers of the world, according to a report in USA TODAY.
Other groups, such as the Utah Tobacco Prevention and Control, Breathe New Hampshire and smokefreesociety.org, have posted fact sheets or printable fliers on their websites. And some groups are sharing information where animal aficionados gather -- including at the Dachshund Dash in Oklahoma City, where the Oklahoma County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition warned of secondhand smoke's dangers to dogs, according to the USA TODAY report.
Faye Varias, a committee member for Guam Animals in Need (GAIN) who manages the organization's publicity and media, says that while secondhand smoke might be a health risk, GAIN has been focused mainly on getting out information to Guam residents on basic health and maintenance of pets, such as not leaving pets in hot cars and making sure animals don't become dehydrated.
"I think a large majority of people on Guam don't know everything they need to know about pet health," says Varias.
The owner of eight dogs, Varias runs the local company Puppy Love Guam, which sells "island gear for the modern pet." As a non-smoker, she says that preventing her dogs from being exposed to secondhand smoke has never been a top priority for her, but that she might ask someone who was smoking in her house or yard to put out a cigarette. In a public area, she says, she would probably just move away from the offending smoke.
While pet owners might not think it's a big deal to light up around their animals, Dr. Joel Joseph, a veterinarian and owner of the Wise Owl Animal Hospital says secondhand smoke can be a significant factor in pets' health.
"It's always a concern," says Dr. Joseph. "Because secondhand smoke harms the animals."
Dr. Joseph says that if an animal is suffering from a respiratory illness, he will typically bring the issue of smoking up with pet owners.
"A lot of times, people are very offended," says Dr. Joseph. "They think smoking is their right and they can do it anywhere."
If pets aren't suffering from a respiratory illness, however, he works with individuals who smoke to highlight the risks of smoking around pets as part of a broader education effort.
Joseph recommended pet owners seek out information through the ASPCA website, and educate themselves on the topic, in order to minimize risk to their pets' health.