Impact of Air Pollution on Pets

How Does Air Pollution Affect Animals?

(Snoopy, 1-yr old Beagle was adopted from a lab for testing smells)

Pets

Studies show that household pets suffer an increased risk of tumors when exposed to polluted air over an extended period of time. Particulate matter in the air has been linked to cardiac arrest in dogs and veterinarians sometimes attribute pet deaths to the effects of air pollution.

Amphibians

Air pollution has been linked to changes in both physiology and behavior in toads and other amphibians. Ozone impairs immune systems in human beings and studies show it affects toads in a similar way.

Birds

Birds are affected directly by coal power production exhaust, which can damage birds’ respiratory systems. They also are affected by air pollution indirectly. Increase in wetlands pH causes fish kills, resulting in a decline in the osprey population as sources of food become scarce. Mercury accumulates as it moves through the food chain, becoming very harmful to predatory birds such as the bald eagle.

Source: https://www.mothersandothersforcleanair.org/documents/AirPollution&Animals2011.pdf

How Harmful is Air Pollution to Pets?

Unfortunately, many scientific studies have confirmed that pets can be harmed by air pollution. Studies have found dogs that lived in homes where outdoor pesticides were used had a 70 percent higher chance of developing lymphoma, and 33 percent of the dogs were diagnosed with canine malignant lymphoma, a form of cancer. Cats that lived in homes with a high concentration of household indoor air pollutants (second-hand smoke, cooking fumes, household chemicals) had a higher rate of respiratory disease such as feline asthma, chronic bronchitis and lung cancer.

Pets frequently outdoors can also become prone to the negative health effects caused by pollution. Outdoor dogs exposed to heavy air pollution had increased brain inflammation and the presence of proteins that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Whereas, one in ten cats were diagnosed with asthma related to indoor and outdoor air pollutants, and cats that lived in homes with smokers had severely decreased lung function.

Source: https://www.petsbest.com/blog/air-pollution-risks-pets/

https://www.livpure.com/blog/7-harmful-effects-of-air-pollution-on-your-beloved-pets-what-you-can-do-to-protect-them

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References are linked.