Smoking: Antioxidants Help Pets Living with Smokers

Heaven help those with smoking addictions because it is one of the most difficult habits to change. In terms of pets, we find those living with smokers often have more illnesses than those in nonsmoking environments. For example, pets of smokers experience increased allergies, asthma, and cancer.

Your pet wants you to be happy so it is not wishing that smoking is banned in your home, but it may be wishing to spend more time in bars and restaurants where smoking is banned. For example, your pet might prefer to breathe in bars and restaurants in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Washington DC. Your pet might want to visit smoke-free restaurants in Florida and Idaho . If your pet is adventuresome, it might want to venture as far as the smoke-free restaurants and bars in Bhutan, England, Ireland, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Sweden, Uganda, and Uruguay.

Although it's fun contemplating your pet enjoying restaurants and bars, we know this is not likely to happen. So, what can be done to help your pet if it is exposed to secondhand smoke? You can provide antioxidants by feeding fresh fruits and vegetables that are deeply pigmented. The darker the color, the greater the benefit. Put the food in a blender so your pet receives it as though it were coming from the stomach of a prey animal, which is the way cats and dogs evolved eating most fruits and vegetables.

Our thoughts are with you as you try to change your smoking behaviors and make the transition to a healthier lifestyle.