Can pot cause asthma in cat?

electra · Mar 12, 2014

My three-year-old cat was just diagnosed (most probably) with asthma, and we're about to start prednisone.

When thinking of newish allergens he may have been exposed to, I just realized that my new boyfriend, who now lives with me, smokes a lot of pot. Could this be a cause of Otto's asthma??

pushylady · Mar 12, 2014

I know quite a few smokers with pets and you can tell from the smell of the dog that their owners smoke around them. We know that second hand smoke causes problems for animals as well as humans, and I would imagine that pot smoke is no different? If your BF is smoking a lot, odds are it's affecting the cat. Could he perhaps confine his smoking to one room that the cat isn't in? That would surely help. Any way you can reduce the environmental factors causing an asthmatic response in your cat is worth a try.

stephanietx · Mar 12, 2014

Get the boyfriend out of the house and keep the marijuana away from the cat. Marijuana is listed on the list of things toxic to cats. Also, a cat's system is so much more sensitive to things than a human's system, so I can only imagine the other side effects it's having on Otto. Here's a thread from several years ago regarding cats & pot. Read it. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/29584/cats-and-marijuana

murr7maggiom · Mar 12, 2014

Yeah, dump the boyfriend.

peaches08 · Mar 13, 2014

electra said:
My three-year-old cat was just diagnosed (most probably) with asthma, and we're about to start prednisone.

When thinking of newish allergens he may have been exposed to, I just realized that my new boyfriend, who now lives with me, smokes a lot of pot. Could this be a cause of Otto's asthma??

You can't change people, and it would be wrong of you to try to change the boyfriend (that's codependency)...but I'm curious as to why the BF needs to smoke so much pot. Is he self-medicating?

Bottom line, no one needs to smoke and no one needs to smoke indoors. I can say that as a former cigarette smoker. I would wrap myself in a blanket and go outside to smoke, or grab an umbrella, etc. I realize that pot is illegal and he can't smoke it outside which brings up a point...why's he smoking pot anyway? He's knows he's breaking the law. And what if you get pregnant? Will he smoke pot around the baby? Department of Family and Children's Services routinely takes new infants from mothers who test positive. It's a mandatory screening in many states now.

Maybe you're protected against pregnancy and that's fine. But Otto needs protection now. It doesn't matter that your BF chooses to hurt himself. What matters is that he hurts everyone else around him.

oneandahalfcats · Mar 13, 2014

Absolutely pot can cause asthma. Anything that causes a change in air quality can be a trigger for asthma attacks. Something else to be concerned about is that prolonged exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke (and I suspect that pot may be no different), can cause oral cancer (squamous cell). Below is a link with some information on this.

http://www.hsvma.org/secondhand_smo...213?utm_medium=hsvmaweb&utm_campaign=advocacy

Please do not allow your boyfriend to smoke pot or cigarettes around your cat.

AbbysMom · Mar 13, 2014

Just a note that some states in the US have legalized the use of marijuana. This thread is not about personal feelings toward marijuana or how it relates to a human's well-being. Let's stick to the cat's health.

Thanks!

Willowy · Mar 13, 2014

Inhaling smoke is always bad for the lungs/general pulmonary system. I just read a study showing that apparently lung cancer is a big problem in developing nations because they cook over open fires :/. So no smoking around animals and kids, who don't have a choice in the matter. Adults can make their own choices but don't make your pets or kids inhale smoke if at all possible

.

electra · Mar 13, 2014

Thanks, Abby.

Wasn't expecting some of those answers!

Yes, we live in Colorado where pot is legal. Also, we're in our 40s, and I'm not pregnant.

Also, i've heard that pot can alleve the symptoms of asthma in people, but not sure about cats.

Isn't the pot LEAF toxic to cats, if they eat it, but not if they inhale some smoke?

ALSO...Ott's symptoms began in November, when bf wasn't around as much, but I understand that really anything can cause breathing difficulties...Hard to know what that might be.

Anyway....

I will have him smoke outside the home for now...!

The prednisone--which we started yesterday--is helping immensely. So, that's a good thing!

peaches08 · Mar 13, 2014

electra said:
Thanks, Abby. Wasn't expecting some of those answers!

Yes, we live in Colorado where pot is legal. Also, we're in our 40s, and I'm not pregnant. Also, i've heard that pot can alleve the symptoms of asthma in people, but not sure about cats.

Isn't the pot LEAF toxic to cats, if they eat it, but not if they inhale some smoke?

ALSO...Ott's symptoms began in November, when bf wasn't around as much, but I understand that really anything can cause breathing difficulties...Hard to know what that might be.

Anyway....

I will have him smoke outside the home for now...!

The prednisone--which we started yesterday--is helping immensely. So, that's a good thing!

Good that you're somewhere that it is legal...that could be an ugly mess! As far as marijuana relieving asthma? No such peer-reviewed study that I'm aware of and I've worked in the OR in which lobes of lungs were removed from not just cigarette smoking but also just marijuana smoking. Good on you for having him smoke outside. That's better for everyone. Including the cat in which the surface to volume ratio is much more like an infant and much more damaging than most human adults.

oceanbreathes · Mar 13, 2014

As recommended, have your boyfriend smoke outside(or, at the very least, use a vaporizor in a bathroom with a fan). He could also do edibles inside the home but you have to make sure that your cats are NEVER allowed access to them. They need to be viewed as "cat poison."

Smoke is smoke, whether it be from a candle, cigarettes, or pot. All of these are awful for asthma. The chemicals many people use in their homes for cleaning and personal hygiene can be as bad or worse.

For the home, AIR FILTERS; quality HEPA filters. They can make a tremendous difference. You'll also want to vaccuum/dust regularly, eliminate any scented products, open windows for a period of time every day, pay attention to outdoor allergens/air quality, and switch to a hypoallergenic and dust-free unscented litter. Does you boyfriend wear cologne, scented deodorant or sprays, hair products, or scented laundry products(especially fabric softner/dryer sheets)? Those things could be causing the increasing asthma and must be eliminated.

Yes, there are studies that show smoking marijuana can be beneficial to asthma patients. They are not referring to the second hand smoke that you and your cat are receiving, though.

And there is debate about the toxicity of the fresh leaves for cats. I would avoid giving your cat access to marijuana in any form. There's a veterinarian in LA who is studying medical marijuana benefits for companion animals. Neat stuff, worth reading about. I would certainly consider it if I lived in a medical state and had an animal with chronic pain, cancer, etc.

If you felt attacked here, please know that marijuana acceptance is spreading quickly.

electra · Mar 13, 2014

Thanks for that info--very helpful. And, I will certainly have him smoke outside. We want to do the best for our cat.

peaches08 · Mar 13, 2014

OceanBreathes said:
As recommended, have your boyfriend smoke outside(or, at the very least, use a vaporizor in a bathroom with a fan). He could also do edibles inside the home but you have to make sure that your cats are NEVER allowed access to them. They need to be viewed as "cat poison."

Smoke is smoke, whether it be from a candle, cigarettes, or pot. All of these are awful for asthma. The chemicals many people use in their homes for cleaning and personal hygiene can be as bad or worse.

For the home, AIR FILTERS; quality HEPA filters. They can make a tremendous difference. You'll also want to vaccuum/dust regularly, eliminate any scented products, open windows for a period of time every day, pay attention to outdoor allergens/air quality, and switch to a hypoallergenic and dust-free unscented litter. Does you boyfriend wear cologne, scented deodorant or sprays, hair products, or scented laundry products(especially fabric softner/dryer sheets)? Those things could be causing the increasing asthma and must be eliminated.

Yes, there are studies that show smoking marijuana can be beneficial to asthma patients. They are not referring to the second hand smoke that you and your cat are receiving, though.

And there is debate about the toxicity of the fresh leaves for cats. I would avoid giving your cat access to marijuana in any form. There's a veterinarian in LA who is studying medical marijuana benefits for companion animals. Neat stuff, worth reading about. I would certainly consider it if I lived in a medical state and had an animal with chronic pain, cancer, etc.

If you felt attacked here, please know that marijuana acceptance is spreading quickly.

Great point about cleaners in the home. Bleach used around children has been correlated to asthma in some adults. Because of hospitals, etc., I'm still around more bleach than I'd like.

I would love to see the studies about asthma and benefits from smoking marijuana.

Willowy · Mar 13, 2014

I have asthma, and I suppose I could see how using marijuana (like edibles or maybe vapor) could ease symptoms, but I don't think smoking it would work out well :/. Smoke is smoke.

electra · Mar 14, 2014

I think you're right.

Can pot cause asthma in cat?

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