So you and your pooch have the wisdom to say no to cigarettes. But unfortunately, not every hooman is killing it in the “good life decisions” department.
Your pooch doesn’t have to say no to cigarettes to be at risk.
We’ve all had that moment on a walk where you look away for 10 seconds and the next thing you know you’re yelling “NO, DON’T EAT THAT!”. I think we can all agree that dogs will eat pretty much anything. Literally, anything.
The truth is, it’s not actually the cigarettes that are harmful. It’s the Nicotine in them.
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You’d think once a cigarette is put out, it loses its evil superpowers. But it doesn’t. In fact, there are about 4 to 8 mg of Nicotine in one cigarette butt.
The toxic dose for dogs is equivalent to 5 mg for every 10lb of weight. 10 mg is the lethal amount. That means for anyone in the small dog category, it only takes one cigarette butt to seriously poison your pooch. Two could potentially be life threatening.
Much safer choice.
Because cigarette butts, chewing tobacco, and nicotine patches come in lots of deceivingly delightful flavored scents such as mint, peach, and apple, it’s only natural that your dog will be drawn to sniff them out. Let’s just be thankful cigarette butts don’t come in actual butt flavor. Then we’d really be in trouble.
That’s why it’s the hooman’s responsibility to make sure your dog isn’t sniffing the wrong butt, before it’s too late. If you think your dog might have been exposed to Nicotine, here’s what to look out for:
Symptoms include weakness, tremors, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, difficulty breathing, slower and/or faster heart rate, drooling, and seizures. If you witness actual consumption of the nicotine, consult your veterenarian or local emergency facility for instructions on how to induce vomiting. The most important thing to remember is that even if you think your dog might be at risk, you should call your vet or go to an emergency pet clinic.
