On Vaping, PG, and the welfare of your cats.

[kabonk]

it's funny I brought home a new puppy (<- isn't she the cuteness ) and the cat got mad and started hanging out with the neighbor when he would come home to eat he smelled like he choked down a pack of camels I was like WTH you quit smoking almost 3 years ago. Thank god he got over it after a few weeks, but honestly I think there is to much air flow in the house for the small amount of PG I use to effect him

 

[ScottP]

Seriously to get enough vapor particles concentrated enough in the air of your house to be toxic, you would have to use the air filter in your return air duct as the wicking to allow massive amounts of direct (non-inhaled) vapor to permeate the house. Either that or pour a ton of e-juice into a skillet on your stove.

 

[_pierced_]

This is good to know. My one cat is obsessed with certain flavors but others he couldn't care less. The other cat just doesn't care lol

 

[NGAHaze]

This probably wouldn't be good for ANY pet you might have ...

 

[RadarLuv1]

This is good to know. My one cat is obsessed with certain flavors but others he couldn't care less. The other cat just doesn't care lol

Ugh, I wrote a whole thing and lost it, so to summarize;

My perfectly healthy Sphynx of 7 years started have seizures and becoming lethargic after about 4 months of vaping. In the last 2 weeks I have spent 4 thousand dollars on vet ER, vet visits, bloodwork, MRI and spinal tap. All virus ruled out. All brain tumors ruled out.

The seizures were horrific. He had a dozed over about 4 days. I removed him from my home and, although he is on meds, he has been seizure free for almost 2 weeks.

I believe it related to the PG. I honestly do. Granted, he is a hairless cat, so the absorption could be greater.

The outlet is good. He is remaining out of my house until I move. I can promise I will only be using homeopathic cleaning agents and VG in all my vapes. Which sucks cause HellaVapor made my fave juice and they only use one pg/vg combo formula. It was my every DAY VAPE. : (

Don't assume the VG is not harming your pet. Through the process of elimination everything points to PG toxicity.

Think what you want, you are free to do so, I just hope you don't have to go through what I did. Heartbreaking.

 

[alisa1970]

Ugh, I wrote a whole thing and lost it, so to summarize;

My perfectly healthy Sphynx of 7 years started have seizures and becoming lethargic after about 4 months of vaping. In the last 2 weeks I have spent 4 thousand dollars on vet ER, vet visits, bloodwork, MRI and spinal tap. All virus ruled out. All brain tumors ruled out.

The seizures were horrific. He had a dozed over about 4 days. I removed him from my home and, although he is on meds, he has been seizure free for almost 2 weeks.

I believe it related to the PG. I honestly do. Granted, he is a hairless cat, so the absorption could be greater.

The outlet is good. He is remaining out of my house until I move. I can promise I will only be using homeopathic cleaning agents and VG in all my vapes. Which sucks cause HellaVapor made my fave juice and they only use one pg/vg combo formula. It was my every DAY VAPE. : (

Don't assume the VG is not harming your pet. Through the process of elimination everything points to PG toxicity.

Think what you want, you are free to do so, I just hope you don't have to go through what I did. Heartbreaking.

I am very sorry to hear about your kitty...I'm a cat lover, and hate to think that what we do without even realizing it could be hurting our pets.

PG in cats (if over-exposed) will cause severe anemia--it's called Heinz body anemia. If your cat was harmed by the PG, that would found in blood tests. But also be aware that essential oils in moisturizers and aromatherapy devices, as well as phenols in air fresheners, carpet/furniture shampoos, and cleaners could also be the culprits.

I'm glad that you're going all homeopathic for your cleaners, but be sure that the fragrances aren't created with essential oils--there are many which are toxic to cats.

Cats are missing a liver enzyme that in other animals break down various compounds quickly. Unfortunately, these are harmless to us and other animals because our bodies can break down the chemical chain and eliminate it from our livers. Cats' livers break these compounds down much more slowly without the needed enzymes (as much as 4 days for one exposure) and so the toxins can build up if you use these oils frequently. Certain oils like Tea Tree oil don't get broken down AT ALL and so are highly toxic.

Just saying that even if it is the PG, please be aware that trying to be more "natural" can be a problem too. Just be aware and keep ALL essential oils away from kitties until the room is cleared, or the surfaces are dry, and don't overdo their use. Here's a good starting point if you want to know/learn more about this:


http://cats.about.com/od/housekeeping/a/aromatherapy.htm


I hope your kitty continues to improve and good luck in the future!

 

[Altaire Versailles]

It has been observed that propylene glycol is toxic to cats and for two days I vaped outside because of this. It then occurred to me, looking at my Eroll, that I am worried over less than one half of the volume of my tank which is then dispersed into the air. Then my cats would have to breath that extremely diluted PG vapor before it settled... That is what I'm worried about? 1/1000 of a milliliter?

I think for propylene glycol to be an issue of toxicity for my cats it would have to be totally impossible for my cats to expel the substance from their body and therefore build it up over years like tuna fish does with mercury.

Can anyone say this is the case for cats and propylene glycol?

Don't bother to ask questions like this around here. You're not gonna find anybody willing to admit or even consider that theres even the slightest thing negative or dangerous about vaping on these forums. Its kind of ridiculous how quick heads start to dive into the sand when people ask perfectly sensible questions if they dont make a positive statement in some way about vaping.

Im sure if somebody wanted to release that small of an amount or arsenic or asbestos or something into the air they were breathing they'd develop an issue with it real quick.

 

[DavidOck]

I've not read here that vaping is safe. I have read - and believe - that it's a lot less UNsafe than smoking.

Have you read the latest research out of Drexel? Scientific Opinon: Electronic cigarettes

Now, it stands to reason that inhaling anything other than clean air isn't going to be as healthy, but for those of us hooked on either the nic or the process, or both, vaping is a lot less hazardous. And while the mentioned research was not done specifically on cats, it does suggest there is not a lot of harmful contaminants in vapor.

Enough to harm a cat? I hope not, as I have three. Who have no apparent reaction after nearly 11 months.

Since I've started vaping, one of my elderly cats has come down with a hyper-thyroid condition. Now, I could blame the PG or VG. But my vet tells me it's not uncommon for elderly cats to get this disease.

I sympathize with Radar, I've lost cats over the years, and each one is precious. And it's great that Sphynx is recovering out of the usual environment. But to "blame" vaping may be a bit extreme. To consider it as a potential cause is reasonable, however. We do need to look at all the possible causes.

 

[Altaire Versailles]

Nobody knows for a fact that vaping is less harmful yet. Experimentation and research proves results can be grossly counterintuitive all the time

 

[RadarLuv1]

Well, my baby Radar, the 7 year old sphynx, who has never had health issues, remains healthy, outside of my house. Not a single seizure since he has been in my mom's home. She doesn't use homeopathic cleaning materials, and she doesn't smoke or vape. He is thriving. The ONLY thing that has changed has been him not being around my vape. I need to again mention that he is hairless, so for those that say their kitties do fine, well, their hair may be their armor.

The only other cause of his sudden onset of seizures could be idiopathic epilepsy. Which is usually not "cured" within 2 days of medication. OR, some other toxic substance (pesticides), which has not been used in any recent time in my home as it was not needed.

I am using the process of elimination here. Along with my vet.

On a good note, Radar will wean off the anti-seizure meds in 6 months. That will determine if he is in fact epileptic. If the seizures do NOT return, then I have to question the PG absorption.

 

[DavidOck]

Except, of course, that the do groom / clean themselves, and ingest what's on their hair.

But wonderful to hear that Radar has recovered. As you say, a process of elimination to determine the cause. Good luck! We do get attached, don't we!

 

[XeniaMike]

I have a kitty who is constantly glued to my side, and vape in the house using 50/50 blend. I usually have ceiling fans going and try not to blow it right on him. I also feel the levels in the air aren't sufficient to cause damage.

 

[skymyrka]

Okay, I'm a total >^..^< person and my oldest one being 20 years old . I had grave concerns about second hand vaping and spoke to the vet about it (this vet has been practicing for over 30 years and 18 of those years he's seen it all with my guy even saving his life once).

I discussed all the risks in depth and was reassured that it's not a concern in my situation. I still don't use it as a permission to blow vapor in the direction of my pets and keep my living area well ventilated when I do. That is not to say that someone else's pet may have sensitivity to it, but in my case I do not worry, and the cats are doing great.

I suggest you talk to your vet about it, given that they are educated about ingredients found in e-liquids.

 

[DavidOck]

Good point, Sky. There is a small percentage of humans who have bad reactions to some juice components. Stands to reason the same could be true for other mammals.