The dangers of walking a dog on a lead that you never knew about
WALKING a dog could increase your risk of seriously injuring your head, a study shows.
Traumatic brain injury was the second most common ailment in US adults who took man’s best friend out on a lead but ended up in the emergency room from 2001 to 2020.
Dangerous injuries, including hip fractures, were particularly common in women and the elderly, researchers found.
Most happened by falling after being pulled by, tangled in or tripped by the leash.
Dr Edward McFarland, of Johns Hopkins University, said: “Clinicians should be aware of these risks and convey them to patients, especially women and older adults.
“We encourage clinicians to screen for pet ownership, assess fracture and fall risk, and discuss safe dog walking practices at regular health maintenance visits for these vulnerable groups.
“Despite our findings, we also strongly encourage people to leash their dogs wherever it is legally required.”
Around 900,000 Brits go to A&E with head injuries every year, with traumatic brain injury (TBI) — damage caused by hitting your head — costing the UK around £15billion annually.
There are many possible causes, including car crashes, assaults, falls and accidents at home or at work.
TBIs can cause symptoms ranging from balance problems, headaches and dizziness to mood and behavioural effects such as memory problems, fatigue and anger.
In some cases, they can cause long-term disability, requiring extensive rehabilitation.
The study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, analysed 422,659 patients visiting US emergency departments with ‘lead-dependent’ dog walking-related injuries.
Nearly half of all patients were adults aged 40 to 64 and three quarters were women.
The three most common injuries were finger fractures, TBIs and shoulder sprains or strains.
TBI and hip fracture were the most common injuries in adults age 65 and older, who were more than three times as likely to suffer a fall.
Lead author Ridge Maxson, a third-year medical student, said: “According to a 2021–2022 national pet ownership survey, nearly 53 per cent of US households own at least one dog.
“Dog ownership also increased significantly in recent years during the Covid pandemic. “Although dog walking is a common daily activity for many adults, few studies have characterised its injury burden.
“We saw a need for more comprehensive information about these kinds of incidents.”