96% of pet owners think pets aren’t affected by carbon monoxide, study reveals

Brits are warned of the danger of carbon monoxide affecting their pets, after new research by Best Heating reveals more than nine in 10 (96%) don’t think their pet will be affected.

 Due to the coronavirus pandemic pet owners are spending more time with their pets and with some shelters running out of cats and dogs due to an increase in people wanting a pet to share isolation with, Best Heating said it’s “important that new pet owners know about the risks and how best to look after them”.

Animals are affected in the same way as humans, by carbon monoxide being breathed in and absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs. And as they tend to be smaller than humans, they are affected a lot quicker and sometimes more severely.

The main symptoms in pets include vomiting, difficulty breathing, seizures, loss of consciousness, weakness or lethargy and red gums’ The study also reported the most common symptom in both people and pets is fatigue and if this is low level poisoning, it can be easily treated by spending time outside getting fresh air.

Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels and can be caused by open fires, cookers, boilers, burning fuel in unventilated spaces, BBQs, blocked flues and chimneys, and by smoking shisha pipes indoors.

The research also revealed over half of Brits (57%) don’t know all of the sources of carbon monoxide poisoning, only one in 10 think BBQ’s can be a source and only 18% know open fires can also be a cause.

John Lawless, content marketing manager from Best Heating, said: “It’s worrying that over a quarter of Brits don’t have a carbon monoxide detector in their home as they are potentially putting their pet’s life at risk alongside their own.

 “We urge people across the country to purchase a carbon monoxide detector and be aware of the symptoms in both themselves and their pets caused by the poisoning.”