Just wondering about torts and smoking...

[Tortus]

I don't expect this to be a hot topic or anything, but I would like to get some input.

People smoke in my house. That's one of the reasons why I keep my baby leopard's enclosure behind a blanket for now with an ionizer under the table. I don't want it inhaling any smoke, especially during the first year. It can't be good.

But when it gets older, it will need a tortoise table that's open to the house, and if people are still smoking by then it will be exposed to it.

What are your thoughts on this? I know they can live for over 100 years, but can they get lung cancer or some other ailment from second hand smoke?

Maybe no one knows enough to make a valid comment, but I'm just throwing it out there.

 

[dmmj]

I am a firm believer torts should not smoke, call me old fashioned, but that is what I believe.

 

[mainey34]

Well, my opinion, I am a smoker but I do not smoke in my home. For one thing it ruins everything in the house. If you don't smoke, it is bad for you also. I'm not sure what the long term effects will be for your tort, but I can't imagine it would be good. I would say that an ionizer would be a good thing to have, but I can't imagine it would illiminate the carcinogens that your tort is inhaling. Where do you live? If you lived in a warmer climate I would suggest taking him outside as much as possible...

 

[Tortus]

LOL dmmj.

I live in Maryland and it's getting too cold now to take it outside. It's just not tortoise weather here right now. We may have 3 good months of tort weather a year.

My roommate smokes very lightly in the house, but I'm still concerned. I have a bigger air purifier in the living room, and the ionizer is behind the blanket with the tortoise. I'm sure they're not eliminating enough to make a huge difference, but at least it's something. I'm just obsessed with keeping this little thing healthy so sorry if this is a stupid question.

I

 

[mainey34]

I would say that this is not a stupid question at all. I'm guessing you are doing your best..

 

[Tortus]

I would say that this is not a stupid question at all. I'm guessing you are doing your best..

Thanks, mainey. Don't bother guessing because I'm bending over backwards for this thing. lol

I'm just seriously wondering if anyone knows about the long-term affects of cigarette smoke on tortoises. And if smoke can cause respiratory infections.

 

[MovieActor]

Long-term second hand smoking has the same repercussions for all creatures: human, horse, dog, cat, tortoise, and even frog.

 

[shellysmom]

It sounds like you're doing what you can to minimize exposure, which is good. I would become concerned if he starts developing recurrent respiratory infections or similar problems, especially once you move him to the main part of the house when he gets bigger. Are there any pet birds in the house? They are extremely sensitive to airborne pollutants, due to the structure and efficiency of their lungs.

 

[wellington]

I don't know for sure if it could or not. I am a smoker also. However, I also don't smoke in my house, makes the walls and everything else nasty. However, I used to smoke in the house years ago. I also know quite a few other smokers that do smoke in their homes. Not to get into a debate about shellysmom bird comment, but I have yet to see smoking affect a bird. For the past 16 years my bird has lived in a smoke free house. But before that he didn't. He is suppose to live to approx. 30 years, he is going on 25 years now and never been sick a day, he's a Quaker. I know of two other birds, Cockatiels, that lived past their life expectancy in a smoking house. Probably affects torts the same as people. Some it will affect, others it won't.

 

[Tortus]

No shelly there are no birds here. But if I do get one there will be a strict no smoking rule in the home. I had a congo African Gray years ago as a teenager that I'm certain got a disease from some baby wild turkeys my mom brought into the house. I've wanted another ever since it died. I only had it for 2 years but the bond was so strong.

A human/bird bond is probably the strongest you'll ever see when it comes to pets. No other pet will share with you like a bird. I love them. I swear when my congo died I grieved harder than I did for my grandparents. It was like I lost a piece of myself. I'm still not over it and it's been almost 20 years.