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Last Updated on November 14, 2019 by
Pets are curious creatures. If you have a puppy or kitty which likes to chew on things or have a pet with a particularly sensitive nose, there are some precautions you should take when vaping around them or when keeping vape-related products in your home. Vaping & Pets do not have to be mutually exclusive, but it’s best to be safe.
E-liquids and other vape-related products– such as nicotine cartridges – are toxic to animals and, unfortunately, there have been cases where animals and pets have fallen ill by ingesting e-liquids or eating an electronic cigarette cartridge.Animals are oblivious to the potential risks when it comes to chewing things, as any pet owner can relate!
E-Cigarettes and Animal Safety
When it comes to that, it is largely e-liquids that are the primary concern because they contain nicotine, which is highly poisonous for most animals including cats and dogs
Although you may not suffer much harm if you accidently ingested a breakfast-flavoured e-liquid, your pets are much smaller, so the lethal dose is much less for them. In dogs, the lethal dose of nicotine is 9.2mg/kg (milligrams per kilogram) so, if you have a dog which weighs six kilograms, it wouldtake 55.2mg to be potentially lethal.
Given that you can get e-liquids which contain as much as 42mg/mL, you can see just how small an amount of the liquid could be deadly; they don’t need to ingest the whole bottle or even half of it!
E-liquids are the only danger associated with animals when it comes to vaping. As long as you ensure you store them correctlyand keep them out of their reach, you minimize the risk of your pets getting hold of the bottle and chewing on it.
Vaping Around Animals
What about vaping around animals? Thisis not possible to answer with certainty, but we can confidently say that animals breathing in second-hand vapouris not a cause for concern and poses no danger.
Although there have been no specific studies related to this, nicotine is not poisonous to animals when expelled in vapour. Why? Because dosage is what makes something poisonous.For example, if you drink too much coffee in a short span of time, that can be dangerous. Does one cup of coffee harm you? Nope, it doesn’t! It works the same with nicotine.
Studies related to second-hand vaping (unrelated to animals) have not found detectable amounts of nicotine in the vapoursignificant enough to indicate that it could potentially cause harm. In fact, the levels of nicotine in vapourare so low that it is hard to distinguish it from the amounts which found in nature.
Luckily, second-hand vaping is not something you need to be worried about harming your pets! However, that’s not to say you should vape aroundyour pets, either.
As you will be aware, vaping liquids come in a variety of scents which may smell greatto you, but your pet may not the biggest fan, like menthol e-liquids! Also, keep in mind that pets have much more sensitive noses than we do so the smell will be so much more intense for them.
A Special Note on Cats and Vaping
Some e-liquids contain PG (Propylene Glycol), which is an ingredient widely used in dog food and lots of regular consumer products. However, cats have a sensitivity to PG which is unique to felines it used to be used in cat food and was found to cause Heinz body anaemia.
This condition causes the cat’s red blood cells to be less able to carry oxygen because it impairs haemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells.
You should be extra careful when vaping in an area around cats, especially if you like blowing thick clouds of vapour often.
Although cats are unlikely to inhale enough of your second-hand vapour to cause any medical problems, it is still a sensitivity for them, so it is always best to err on the side of caution. Be kind and don’t be blowing it in their faces!
Tips When Vaping Around Pets
Keep e-liquids out of reach
As we have learned, nicotine is highly toxic foranimals. Don’t leave your e-cigarette laying around in a place your pet can reach, like your desk or the coffee table. Again, your pet may be inclined to chew on it out of curiosity, and this can cause a lot of trouble.
When you are not using your vaping equipment, keep it in a secure location. Not only will your pet be safe, but it will help reduce the wear and tear on the device.
Vaping? Open a window
Thisis more common courtesy than anything, but when vaping in an indoor environment where pets are present, open a window! It’s always a good idea to ventilate a room when there are pets around.
It is always best to vape when your pet is not in the room but if you must, try not to vape in your pet’s general direction and keep your eye on them. If they begin to look uncomfortable, let them enjoy a little fresh air or cease vaping for a bit.
Conclusion
It is not the act of vaping itself that is the danger here, well unless you throwing huge clouds of vapour directly into the faces of your beloved pets, but the safe use and storage of vape-related products and devices. If you are taking the necessary precautions, it is entirely safe to keep pets in an environment where vaping also takes place. A little common sense can go a long way.
