Cigarette smoke blamed for budgerigar's death
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.PASSIVE smoking was blamed yesterday for the death of a budgerigar, writes Martin Whitfield.
Exposure to the fumes of Eileen Wilson's 40 cigarettes a day led to her beloved pet, Peter, developing lung cancer. He died, aged seven, a few days after the disease was diagnosed by a vet. Mrs Wilson, 81, of South Bank, near Middlesbrough, has smoked for 64 years and is not convinced of the passive smoking theory of Peter's death.
'They are likely to catch cold, the same as anybody. I loved Peter - he was like a human being to me and it broke my heart when he died. But I'm not going to give up smoking after all this time. Anyway, it didn't seem to affect the previous budgie I had for 12 years,' she said.
The British Veterinary Society Association said small birds were very sensitive. Canaries had been kept by miners to detect dangerous underground gases.
Studies into the dangers of passive smoking for domestic dogs and cats have been largely inconclusive. A recent study showed that dogs with short/medium length noses were more vulnerable to lung cancer than other breeds.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments