Tri-cities Area Smoke Affects Your Pets More than You Think

It's the time of year when we begin to see the smokey haze on the horizon and smell smoke in the air.

While it makes for amazing sunsets, I think we can all agree we get the dreaded feeling in our gut, when we smell and see it affecting our area.

Protect your pets from Fire and Smoke

If you've ever been evacuated you know the panic and fear that can make us feel helpless and worried about our family, pets, livestock and home and farm.

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The windy conditions can feed a blaze so quickly and many in the area have been victim to destruction.

How can I be prepared for fire in my area

My family was evacuated once and I have to tell you, even though we had a "Fire Plan" things did not go smoothly. We had been told we may have to evacuate, and we thought we were prepared, But when the call came to move, everything went wrong.

The cow wouldn't load in the horse trailer in all the panic, so we ended up just walking the horses and cow by hand down to a neighbors by the river. We couldn't even find the cat and   when we finally loaded everyone up in the car to leave, it wouldn't even start!

Pets and livestock are adversely affected by smoke

My Sister came to rescue us in her van, but was turned away by the fire personnel because the road had been closed.

I guess it wasn't our time to die, because even though it was a disaster, we ended up okay. Many others were far more affected.

The smoke itself even from a distance away can affect our health. 

Inhaling smoke for a short time can cause immediate effects.

Smoke irritates the eyes, nose, and throat, and its odor can be nauseating.

Studies show that some people exposed to heavy smoke have temporary changes in lung function that makes breathing more difficult. People can also have changes in heart function.

It effects our pets in much the same way.

"Your pets can be affected by wildfire smoke. If you feel the effects of smoke, they probably do, too! Smoke can irritate your pet’s eyes and respiratory tract. Animals with heart or lung disease and older pets are especially at risk from smoke and should be closely watched during all periods of poor air quality."

A key thing to remember is if the smoke bothers you, it will also be bothering your pet. The same goes for Livestock. Best not to expect horses or other livestock to exert energy while finding it hard to inhale correctly.

Make a fire plan and practice it with your family. It pays to be prepared. Create a 30 - 100 ft safety zone around your home. Clear all flammable vegetation. Rake leaves and twigs. Clear dead tree limbs.