Smoke unlikely to make healthy pets sick

Thursday, Oct. 30, 2003 | 9:10 a.m.

Even if the smoky haze blowing in from Southern California gets worse, it's not likely to make healthy pets sick, a local veterinarian said.

However, animals such as cats and dogs that have bronchitis and asthma could experience problems from prolonged exposure to the particulate matter in the air, said veterinarian Christopher Yach of the West Flamingo Animal Hospital.

Yach, who has been a veterinarian locally for 17 years and lists among his patients the aquatic creatures of Mandalay Bay's shark reef and lots of domestic animals, said pet owners need to practice common sense during this period of moderate air conditions and potential poor air days.

"Even if conditions get worse -- and they are likely to get worse -- they will not make most ordinarily healthy animals unhealthy," he said. "But they certainly can aggravate a chronic problem."

Yach said dogs and cats get respiratory problems "almost identical" to those of humans, and that asthma in animals, as in humans, can range from minor to life-threatening.

"Common sense dictates that animals should spend less time outside in these conditions," Yach said. "We should not take dogs for walks. But pets still need to go to bathroom, and we should not limit that. We should not be going over the top with precautions. Just avoid prolonged exercise."

Pet owners, Yach said, need to watch for respiratory distress such as excessive coughing, labored breathing or anything out of the normal.

Yach said animals cannot take the same precautions as humans, noting that filtering masks are impractical. He said pet owners are cautioned not to give animals human medicine for conditions that are similar to human ailments.

Precautions also need to be taken for other types of pets, Yach said.

Horses present perhaps the most major concern because barns generally don't filter out contaminants, the animals cannot be brought indoors and most veterinarians who specialize in the treatment of domestic animals are not equine experts, Yach said.

"Horse owners who believe their animals are having respiratory problems should contact large-animal veterinarians," Yach said.

He also noted that birds are susceptible to respiratory ailments. Caged birds that often are left on the patio should be moved inside, he said.

Fish, however, should be OK because their respiratory systems are affected by water-borne problems. Yach said, "It would take a horrendous air quality problem to affect the water."

Snakes, lizards and other reptile pets generally are kept indoors, so there should be no special concern for them, Yach said, noting that desert tortoises that live in outdoor habitats should be left alone for the time being.

Yach also said that "pocket pets" such as mice, hamsters and gerbils normally are kept indoors and should continue to be kept inside. He said it would be a good idea to bring indoors any caged rabbits that generally live outdoors until the air quality improves.