By IANS
New York : Pets can also get cancer from continuously inhaling cigarette smoke, a researcher has said.
Smoking is already known to cause 87 percent of lung cancer deaths worldwide. It is also responsible for many other cancers and health problems.
In pets, passive smoking can cause oral cancer and lymphoma in cats, lung and nasal cancer in dogs as well as lung cancer in birds, said veterinarian Carolynn MacAllister of the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service.
The grooming habit of pets makes them more susceptible to second hand smoking. “Cats constantly lick themselves while grooming, therefore they lick up the cancer-causing carcinogens that accumulate on their fur,” MacAllister said.
Malignant lymphoma is another type of cancer that cats can get from passive smoking.
This cancer occurs in the lymph nodes and cats are twice as likely to have this type of cancer compared to cats living in a non-smoking home, reported science portal EurekAlert.
This form of cancer is fatal in three out of four cats within 12 months of developing the cancer.
MacAllister also pointed out that second hand smoking is greatly associated with the increased occurrence of cancer in the nose and sinus area among dogs. Research also indicates a slight association with lung cancer.