Dog and Cigarette Smoke?

[shayla]

I understand that if smoke hurts humans, it will hurt dogs as well. Here's my situation.

I've been living with a few friends and am now going back home to live with my parents, who smoke constantly. Every time I take the dog to visit them for around 2+ hours, she just lays down and doesn't really want to do much and she'll sometimes throw up. I'm wondering if it's from the smoke since there isn't anything else there that would make her sick and lose energy. But since I'm moving back in with them, I'm worried it'll make her sick even more. We used to live there before, when my dog was younger and she seemed fine. But since she's lived in a non smoke environment I'm worried the smoke will really effect her.

We'll be visiting non smoker's homes quite often as well and I'm also worried the constant back and forth to smoke and non smoke will hurt her.

Any thoughts, suggestions, experiences?

Thank you.
**EDIT: If there's anything at all I can do to help, medicine or anything that might calm a dog's sick stomach don't hesitate to let me know!
***********I'll also be buying a smoke air filter for the house or at least my room to hopefully help her.

@redone I'm not stupid. I know that the smoke will overall hurt her. Read the first sentence in my post at least before you answer with something so sarcastic. I'm asking if the constant going to and from will hurt her MORE and if she'll just constantly be sick or not feeling well.
@Lizzie: I don't really have that option, but it can be found if it's absolutely necessary. I'll be buying an air filter for the smoke and placing it in our room, maybe that will make a difference?
@Sisu: The problem isn't in the car. She's always been amazing in the car and never has gotten sick. I'm worried about the back and forth of going from non smoking, getting used to that and plunged back into the smoking house. But I'm hoping maybe with an air filter it'll help??

[MamaBas]

Passive smoking can kill!! And that stretches to dogs as well, I'd suggest. I have this problem with my sister and her hubby who both smoke like chimneys. To be honest, I avoid taking my own two dogs with us when we visit, or I leave them in our car outside because of this. I had my Whippet in there once (and only once), crated because they have a dog (more on that in a mo) and after an hour in there, she started coughing. She doesn't normally cough, and much as both smoked after the meal with the windows open, I'd still put this down to the overall smokey atmosphere in there. In fact if she ever gives me clothing, it goes into my washing machine before I anywhere near wear it - and magazines go into the garage to air out first too. It's that bad.

As for her dog(s), she had one who lived to 15 so if I try to suggest she's damaging her current dog, it falls on deaf ears. And her current dog doesn't cough!!

As far as the situation with you and your dog is concerned, I'm not sure about the lethargy other than if the smokey atmosphere is making her physically sick, obviously she won't be feeling very good = lethargy. I think you have a lot of decisions to make about moving back in there, with your dog. It's all very well getting an air filter for your own room, but will your dog therefore have to be confined to one room? Hum. I don't think switching from non-smoking to smoking homes continually, is significant in terms of this problem - in fact it's nice you'll be taking her with you and not leaving her alone, in one room, at home!!

I hope you can resolve this because for me, smoking, and even passive smoking does kill - and you are just as much at risk if you live there!!

Add -- I'd try to work on mum and dad re the smoking. But I don't hold out much hope for you because I've been at my sister for years about this. She says it's too late to gain anything in terms of lengthening her life now. I try to suggest she'll feel that much better, for whatever time she (they) have left if she does ..... no response. The 'joke' is she has an asthma spray in her bag, along with her packet of ciggies. And she's already had ovarian cancer (much as there is no direct link to smoking with this cancer?) I know it can be done - I smoked through my 20s!! As did my hubby.

[sisu]

Dogs do get lung cancer. It is most often secondary to an original cancer source. Perhaps the dog has developed car sickness. Car sickness combined with the smell of the smoke could make her nauseous. Give Bonine 45 minutes before a car trip to see if it helps.

[redone]

dogs have lungs you know that right?

[Lizzie]

Dogs get lung, and many other kinds of, cancer, too. Second hand smoke may lead to your dog's early death or years of terrible breathing difficulties and pain. The smoke will really affect her, and NOT in a good way. Do you have a nonsmoking friend or relative who can house the dog for you?

You need to keep the dog as well as yourself away from the smoke.

[milkshake]

Since a dog's sense of smell is the thing they are most dependent on, it would be detrimental to their functioning to be in a polluted home. It would be the likes of a human trying to function in a dense fog. We would need to depend on our sense of hearing to figure out where we were going, and it would probably be so frustrating that we would just sit down and wait, hoping that the fog would clear. Your dog probably feels helpless and disoriented in that environment.

Have you asked your parents to smoke outside? Have they completely rejected the idea? Given what we know about secondhand smoke, I think I would rather be homeless than live in that type of environment. If you are choosing to live in the environment, I would hope that you could find another temporary home for your dog. If any of these ideas are out of the question, then here's what I would do...

Keep your dog confined to your room to limit his smoke exposure. Purchase an air filter that you can run around the clock to try to keep his air clean. Do not use the central air or heat in the home, as this will spread the pollutants into your room. Purchase covers for the air vents. Consider keeping your dog outside when weather permits, and allow him to spend as much time as possible with friends so that he may have some reprieve.