Is it safe if I vape around my pets?

You might’ve already googled the effects of vaping near children, but did you know there are also some small risks when you vape near dogs and other animals in your home? The main risks come from the nicotine in vape liquids, and the possibility that your furry friend might be sensitive to the exhaled vapour.

Here’s the lowdown on everything you need to know about vaping around pets.

Sadly vaping is not man’s best friend

The biggest risk from vaping around your pets comes from e-liquid. The nicotine inside vape liquid is toxic for animals – if it’s ingested instead of inhaled, it’s more rapidly absorbed into the blood. This can make pets sick in no time at all. The smaller the animal is, the bigger their reaction to nicotine will be. Those with cats, we’re looking at you. In fact, e-liquids pose a specific risk to felines since they’re often allergic to one of the key ingredients: propylene glycol.

Therefore it’s always best to keep your vape juices out of reach from pets in a sealed container which they can’t break into – if a dog can rip up your slipper in seconds, they’ll definitely be able to break into a bottle of e-liquid! Make sure to also dispose of empty bottles safely so tiny paws can’t go rummaging through the bins.

A dangerous Duracell bunny

As well as dangers from e-liquids, pets are prone to swallowing the electrical parts of vapes. Whether that’s the battery, or even the device itself. Batteries with alkaline can cause extreme burns if ingested – definitely something you don’t want to see happen to your furry friend.

Paws for thought

Animals are more sensitive to exhaled vaping aerosols. Birds, for example, have very sensitive airways which can be irritated even by scented candles. Let alone strawberry flavoured vape pens! In general, it’s best to be cautious when vaping around pets.

Here’s a few things you can do:

• Vape in a different room to your pets
• Always have a window open to help vapour dissipate quickly
• Don’t keep your vape device or vape juice in the same room as your pet, or where they have easy access to it
• Dispose of entry cartridges with care somewhere where dogs can’t rummage for them

As long as you’re careful with where you vape and how you store and dispose of your vape stuff, a sensible vaping habit won’t cause harm to your four-legged friend.