Do your pets get affected by toxic air pollution the same way as people do? The answer is "Yes." Animals do get affected equally by air pollution. Degrading air quality is something to blame for the ever shortening life spans of our beloved pets. While we do care for our pets, what we commonly overlook is the effect of pollution on them.
Continuous and prolonged exposure to degraded air quality can give rise to a variety of lung, throat and nose diseases in your pets, such as bronchitis or even asthma. Here we present you some ways in which degraded air quality affects our furry friends and what all we can do to resist that.
Smog affects the health of your pet
Smoggy days are bad not just for you, but for your furry friend too! Smog causes severe ailments because of the quality of air they breathe in. It may cause breathing troubles leading to suffocation. This can be fatal for our pets in periods of intense and prolonged exposure.
- Remedy: Keeping your pets indoors during phases of smog would greatly help the cause. It is advisable to not take your pet out for a walk during one of those smoggy days. Using a dog air pollution mask is a helpful way to take your dog on a short walk to stretch the legs and go to the bathroom
Passive smoking affects pets
Passive smoke from cigarette smoking is an air quality problem for your dog and pets. A recent study showed that pets in smoke-free homes have healthier lungs than their counterparts living in smoke-prone homes. The passive smoking is detrimental to their lung health as they tend to spend most of their time on the floor.
- Remedy: Smoking isn’t just bad for your health; it affects your pets as well. Establish a separate smoking zone in your homes where your pets won’t have access, or better still, quit smoking for good!
Indoor activities can cause cancer!
You might think that being clean is great, and indeed it is, but the fact also depends on certain other factors to be true. Certain indoor activities like cleaning with artificial chemical cleansers and smoking cause adverse effects on your pet’s health. These contain carcinogens which can be directly attributed to causing illnesses like mesothelioma, lung, bladder and nasal cancer in your pets!
Remedy: Go green. Block out artificial carcinogen-laden cleansers and go for more healthy choices so that your pets have all carcinogen-free air to inhale.
Outside pollution affects your pets
Outside pollution also affects your pets. In a survey, it has been observed that dogs in areas of high-pollution levels show increased inflammation of the brain than those living in areas with a relatively low pollution. Pollution may even cause your pet to acquire certain Alzheimer-like illnesses.
- Remedy: Taking pets out for walks is obviously essential, but you need to keep in mind to choose an area less polluted by contaminants. Either shift your base to cleaner zones or take out your pets in areas away from roadsides and industries to reduce the effects of pollution.
Using pesticides can be deadly for your dogs
It has been observed that the use of artificial pesticides in personal farms can prove to be deadly to your dog. According to a study, around 30% of the dogs living in homes with artificial pesticide use are diagnosed with canine malignant lymphoma which is a form of cancer. It has also been observed that around 70% of these dogs do actually have a chance of acquiring this deadly disease.
Remedy: Artificial pesticides do more harm than good. With its severe health effects on humans as well as animals, it is better to steer clear of them and opt for the more eco-friendly ones. Your furry friend shouldn’t be subjected to such needless risk factors.
Indoor pollution decreases your pet’s lung capacity
It has been found that houses with owners who smoke and pollute the air from burning wood are detrimental to the heath of pets. Cats and dogs in such houses are more prone to catch health problems like asthma and decreased lung functionality.
- Remedy: Install a good air purifier, or air filters for central heating and cooling systems, in your house that limits indoor air pollution. The fresher and purer the air inside, the healthier your pets will be.
Using artificial room fresheners affects your pets
While we may want our houses to smell good at all times, this comes with a price. If we go for artificial fresheners containing aerosols, these contaminants aren’t good for your pet’s health and result in various illnesses of the heart and lungs.
- Remedy: Natural flowers work way better than artificial fragrances, and you should opt for them to give your furry friend a well deserved extension of good health..
