Dogs pulling on leads cause large number of hand and wrist injuries in UK, study shows | Dogs

Walking your dog can be good for you and your canine companion, but research shows that it can also be dangerous.

Although there are many health benefits – encouraging the increase in activity levels and physical exercise, improving health and cardiovascular weight – researchers have found that being fired on lead increases the risk of falls and injuries.

Research published in BMJ’s prevention of injuries believes that there are so many hands and wrist injuries among the walkers of the 13 million company dogs in the United Kingdom that it could cost the NHS more than 23 million pounds sterling per year.

Hand and wrist injuries represent up to 30% of all cases treated in accident and emergency services and 20% of acute fractures. The British Society for hand surgery indicates that the fingers hanging under the collar of a dog can cause fractures of the fingers, while the lead wrap around the wrist, hand or fingers can cause serious injuries if the dog suddenly pulls.

Experts from the Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and the Singapore Sengkang General Hospital examined five American studies involving nearly 500,000 dog walking injuries.

Among these, more than a fifth was specific fractures or soft tissue injuries in hand and wrist. The fingering and wrist fractures were the most common, representing just under 62,000 injuries. And more than two thirds of the injuries were caused by the dog pulling his advance, the rest attributed to tripping on lead or the dog and the fall, and being tangled in mind.

Although dog walking is not more risky than other injury activities with hands or wrists, the study revealed that women and the elderly were affected disproportionately by dogs’ walking injuries. Almost three -quarters of the injuries were one of women and just under a third among those over 65.

The authors then modeled the potential costs of the treatment of fractures and molds for broken bones and calculated that the treatment of radius fractures distal caused by injuries linked to dogs could cost the NHS in England more than 23 million pounds sterling per year only. The figure does not include the broader economic impact of patients unable to work and potentially higher care needs, the authors added.

“Preventive measures, including safer leash practices and public security guidelines, should be implemented to reduce the risk of injury,” said the authors.

“Politicians should teach dog owners optimal dog walking practices to minimize injury and apply adequate training for dogs to reduce the risk that dogs wound the person who walks them.”

Responding to the results, Mark Bowditch, president of the British Orthopdic Association, said: “Dog property is often promoted and encouraged for multiple health benefits described. However, these data demonstrate that injuries may occur during daily activities to live with dogs.

“Hand injury, wrist and arms or shoulders are very common and increase. They can cause considerable disturbance and functional interference.

The owners had to be informed and educated about the best way to prevent these injuries, he added. “It can be the adequacy of the breed and the exercise needs, a simple formation available, a design in leash, use and manipulation.”

Ryan Trickett, the President of Communications of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, said: “Anecdotal, we know that there are risks to walk on dogs for many years, and this review allows a better understanding of the burden of this problem.

“The sudden prints of lead or collar can easily drop the walkers and fracture their wrist. However, other injuries are also common in this scenario. The wounds of wrong finger can be particularly damaging because they cause tears in the skin and often underlying the finger fractures.

A Kennel Club spokesman said: “All the owners should recognize how important it is to train their dog to walk in an advance without shooting or tightening, to avoid injury to dogs and people, and as part of making sure that their four-legged friend is a good canine citizen.”

This would help ensure that the owners could keep their dog control while walking among people, other dogs and distractions, and without shooting.

He added: “The choice of the right collar, lead and the lag equipment is also important – they must be comfortable, well -adjusted and secure.”