Not surprisingly, people love their pet dogs. It is estimated that about 50 percent of U.S. households own at least one dog, accounting for a pet dog in 60- to 65-million households. During the Covid pandemic, with people spending more time at home, about 3.1 million pet dogs were added to American homes.
Walking is the most common form of
physical activity among adults in the U.S., and walking a pet dog is a great
way to get the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise. But there are hazards.
In just the past few months, several of my friends had falls while walking
their dogs, resulting in fractures of a wrist, a finger, a hip, a humerus, and
an ankle. One walker’s fall resulted in a subdural hematoma. All but one of the
injuries occurred in women. This is not surprising as women are more likely
than men to walk a pet dog and may be at increased fracture risk because of
underlying osteoporosis.
Risk of injury while dog walking is
common and on the rise. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed
statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and found that from
2004 to 2017, the number of hospital emergency room visits involving bone
fractures in older adults who had been walking leashed dogs more than doubled.
The increase was attributed to two factors: a rise in pet ownership and
increased emphasis on physical activity among older people.
Most injuries that occur while dog
walking are due to tripping and falling after being tangled in a leash or being
suddenly pulled forward on the leash by a large or powerful dog. Additional
risk factors include walking near traffic, running with a leashed dog, walking
at night or on slippery or uneven surfaces, and multitasking while walking.[E1]
A group of researchers from Johns
Hopkins analyzed information in a national health database covering the period
from 2001 to 2020 and identified almost 423,000 people (average age 53) who
went to an emergency department after being pulled or tripped by a leash. The
annual number of injured people increased more than fourfold during the study
period, going from about 7,200 in 2001 to about 32,000 in 2020. Common injuries
included broken fingers, shoulder sprains and strains, and traumatic brain
injuries. Among adults aged 65 and older, the two most common injuries were hip
fractures and traumatic brain injuries. Seventy-five percent of the patients
were women, many between ages 40 and 64. Analyzing only emergency room visits
underestimates the real number of dog walking related injuries as many patients
are probably seen in physician offices, specialty clinics, and urgent care
centers.
People will obviously continue to
walk their dogs, but a little caution and common precautions can go a long way
in preventing a medical emergency. Wear proper footwear, walk in familiar
places, avoid traffic, don’t walk on slippery or hazardous surfaces, work on
your balance and strength, wear reflective clothing or clip-on lights if you
walk at night, and put away your smartphone. It is also a good idea to teach
your dog some obedience skills. The type of leash you use is important as well.
It should be about six feet in length and non-retractable. Longer or retractable leashes are more likely
to lead to tangling around your legs or making your dog more difficult to
control.
Enjoy your dog walks but be careful!
[E1]I
think this paragraph fits better in this spot, before getting into the morass
of statistics.
