A study has found traumatic brain injury is among the top three common injuries caused by walking dogs on a lead. The study researched hospitalisations within the US and found finger fractures, traumatic brain injuries and a shoulder sprain were the most common injuries.
It was also found women and all adults aged 65 and older were more likely to sustain serious injuries when walking a dog. The researchers explained that whilst they "strongly encourage people to leash their dogs" they want more people to be aware of the possibility of accidents with leads.
The traumatic brain injuries found in the study linked to head injuries, including brain contusions (a bruise of the brain tissue), epidural hematomas (bleeding above the brain's outer membrane) and subdural hematomas (bleeding beneath the brain's outer membrane) reports The Daily Record.
The researchers tracked accident and emergency data for more than 20 years to find the most common injuries. The findings were published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, and showed that from 2001 to 2020, a total of 422,659 adults sought treatment for leashed dog walking related injuries.
In addition to the three most common injuries, the research also found that TBI and hip fracture were the two most common injuries among adults aged 65 and older. Additionally, women with injuries related to walking a dog on a leash were 50 percent more likely to sustain a fracture than men.
Edward McFarland, the study's senior author and director of the Division of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine, stated: "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."
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