Many people adopt the habit of smoking. Even though smoking is harmful to all living things, people still love to do it. Cigarette smoke contains harmful toxins and addictive properties, so you cannot say no to a puff once you start smoking.
People with pets often get curious and concerned if they can smoke around their animals. So, you might wonder, “can I smoke around my rabbit”?
No, you cannot smoke around your rabbit. People have more solid organs and bodily functions than bunnies. Rabbits are fragile creatures that get sick faster than their furry fellows, dogs, and cats. A cigarette’s smoke contains harmful substances that can harm your bunny in many ways.
Exposing innocent, harmless, and voiceless creatures to harmful substances without their consent is wrong.
Many buildings and public places have a no-smoking policy to prevent people from inhaling passive smoke without consent. Animals should have the same rights. Keep reading to know how smoke can affect your precious furry friend.
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What Do You Expose Your Rabbit To While Smoking?
Smoke from the burning tip of a cigarette contains plenty of toxins that can cause many diseases to your precious furry friend. When you smoke, only 15% goes inside you. The rest of the smoke comes out when you exhale, intoxicating the environment around you.
When you smoke around your poor furry rabbit, you expose your pet to 4,000 types of toxins. Forty of these toxins have cancerous components. Rabbits inhale this smoke through their nose or lick the toxins off their fur when they groom themselves in the presence of cigarette smoke.
When your rabbit passively smokes for a while, it can develop many health issues. Such as:
- Irritation of the airways
- Various cancers
Cardiovascular Troubles
These poor creatures cannot voice their concerns and the irritations they experience due to the smoking habit of their owners.
It borders on animal abuse and can get you in trouble. If you do not care enough for your bunny’s health, the fine for animal abuse may keep you from smoking with your poor furry friend.
Harmful Things Present In Tobacco Smoke
Tobacco is considered a harmful substance all over the world. It is not only because of its carbon footprint when burned but also because of its dangerous components. Here is what is wrong with tobacco smoke:
Nicotine
Nicotine is a very addictive substance. However, nicotine is the least harmful compared to tobacco’s other components. It has fewer harmful components and is a quitting therapy for chain smokers.
As this element is the addictive part of tobacco, the nicotine patches and gum are used to reduce a person’s need for smoking cigarettes, slowly cutting to zero cigarettes.
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that inhibits the oxygen supply to your blood cells. When your blood does not get proper oxygen and receives carbon monoxide instead, it leads to serious health concerns. It puts intense pressure on your heart and makes it work twice as hard as usual.
Carbon monoxide affects your lungs as they become the only source of oxygen for your body. It will deprive your blood of the required oxygen levels, and your heart will weaken, making you susceptible to stroke and heart attacks. It can have similar effects on your rabbit.
Tar
Tar is probably the most dangerous component of tobacco as it contains carcinogens, cells that can cause cancer. You must have noticed that smokers have brown teeth and gums.
Tar leaves stains in your mouth as it is toxic. This component also affects the lungs by narrowing the tubes through which your lungs absorb oxygen. Once your lungs are damaged, you are prone to various respiratory infections and chronic lung diseases.
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How Will Smoke Make Your Poor Bunny Rabbit Suffer?
Tobacco smoke can cause plenty of harm to the smoker. It puts you at risk of respiratory diseases, mouth infections, cardiovascular issues, and cancer. If you smoke in the same room as your rabbit, your poor animal is passive smoking with you.
All the toxins harmful to you are double trouble for your precious bunny as it has a sensitive body and fragile organs.
Here is a list of health issues tobacco smoke can cause your bunny to suffer from:
Thermal Injury
Bunnies breathe through their noses. The air from the atmosphere goes into your rabbit’s lungs via the windpipe and small tubes that connect the lungs with the main airpipe.
When your poor rabbit inhales tobacco smoke, it damages its respiratory system. Your bunny’s airways get irritated and damaged due to inhaling ash and chemicals in tobacco smoke.
Once exposed to these harmful substances, your rabbit becomes prone to catching pneumonia and developing ulcers and erosions. The dangerous part is that your rabbit will be in pain with ulcers, but you might not even realize as ulcers take 48 to 72 hours to develop fully.
Pneumonia
When your rabbit inhales the smoke, it damages the airways. Airways usually can block bacteria from entering the lungs; however, damaged airways cannot. Your poor furry friend’s lungs can catch an infection and fill up with water resulting in death if untreated.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
A smoky atmosphere is likely to have a higher rate of carbon monoxide. When this gas binds with your rabbit’s hemoglobin, it replaces oxygen. All living beings need an optimum amount of oxygen in their blood for their organs to function correctly.
Oxygen deprivation in your furry baby’s blood can result in brain damage and can be fatal. Common signs of carbon monoxide poisoning are slow breathing and raspy sounds from your bunny.
Neurological Damage
Inhaling smoke causes a lack of oxygen in your rabbit. Plus, it exposes your rabbit to other toxins that replace oxygen.
Due to passive smoking, your rabbit can get neurological disorders like seizures, difficulty in motor movement, and behavioral changes. The damage might be reversible if caught early on. However, that is unlikely, as the symptoms will show only when it is too late.
Hydrogen Cyanide Poisoning
Toxic air can cause your rabbit to suffer from hydrogen cyanide poisoning. Four thousand toxins emit from tobacco smoke; plenty of them can have the same properties as burning plastic or paint.
When your rabbit has hydrogen cyanide poisoning, it will have difficulty breathing, lethargy, drowsiness, shallow breathing, and unusual behavior.
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How To Prevent Your Bunny From Inhaling Smoke?
Smoking can kill you, and you should try to quit it. If you cannot say goodbye to this awful habit, the least you can do is not expose others to the disgusting smoke.
If you have pets, do not smoke around them. Passive smoking is worse than actual smoking, especially for innocent animals.
You can take the following measures to prevent your bunny from passively smoking with you:
Provide Adequate Ventilation
If you smoke inside your house, ensure plenty of windows and an exhaust fan in the premises for the smoke to escape. It is best not to smoke indoors as no matter how many ventilation options you have, the smoke will still spread throughout your house.
Vacuum Your Furniture
The ash and toxins can deposit on surfaces, making them dangerous for your pet rabbit.
Your bunny will hop all over the place and get toxins on its fur, which your rabbit will then digest while your bunny grooms itself. Vacuum your house and furniture daily to reduce the number of toxins your rabbit can touch.
No Stray Cigarette Butts
Rabbits will eat anything that comes their way. They do not have the sense to judge what is good or bad for them.
If your rabbit sees a cigarette butt, it will become curious and munch on it. Be careful where you leave your cigarette butts and ensure they are out of your precious bunny rabbit’s reach.
Final Words
You are responsible for caring for your innocent rabbit as a pet owner. These helpless creatures rely on their humans for every tiny thing. Whether your rabbit is hungry, thirsty, sick, or lonely, it will always expect you to fix its problem.
Smoking is dangerous to you and everyone around you. It is best to quit smoking for your health. However, if you cannot quit for some reason, at least do not make your rabbit inhale the toxicity.
Keeping your pet safe should be your top priority. To raise a healthy habit, you must provide your bunny with a safe environment, fresh air, unlimited hay, moderate greens, fruits, flowers, and pellets.
Your precious furry friend needs more than just food and a safe environment. Rabbits have a high emotional need. Give your furry baby loads of love, attention, care, and snuggles. Play with your pet as much as they want and show them they are wanted and appreciated.
