Electronic cigarettes, Safer? Not for Pets!

Local poison centers report a 219% increase in devices and liquid nicotine reported poisonings from 2013 to 2014 (AAPCC).  Electronic Cigarettes may benefit people, helping them to quit smoking, but are very dangerous to pets. They still contain nicotine which is toxic to pets. The cartridges are flavored and smell good, further enticing them to eat it. This is very dangerous because each cartridge contains the amount of nicotine of one to two cigarettes, which can make a fifty pound dog sick and kill a ten pound dog. The cartridges come in packs of five to one hundred which is a death sentence to any size pet. Clinical signs of vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, elevations in heart rate and respiration rate, depression, tremors, ataxia, weakness, seizures, cyanosis, coma, cardiac arrest and death can occur within fifteen to sixty minutes. Home care is not generally possible because of the severity of the clinical signs with just small doses of ingestion. It is very important to rush your pet to the closest animal hospital as soon as possible because the clinical signs occur so rapidly. Best to prevent, keep both e-cigarettes and cartridges out of reach of pets and children at all times.  For further information: 

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/2014/03/e-cigarette-poisoning-dogs/

http://www.aapcc.org/alerts/e-cigarettes/