A note for dog owners – traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the second most common injury suffered by people walking their pet on a lead, according to a new study.

Researchers analysed 422,659 patients visiting US emergency departments with ‘lead-dependent’ dog walking-related injuries between 2001 and 2020. While broken fingers were found to be most common at 6.9%, traumatic brain injuries occurred in 5.6% of patients. Shoulder strains and sprains were the third at 5.1%.

Most injuries occurred due to owners either being pulled by their dog or getting tangled in or tripping over the lead.

The team, from Johns Hopkins University, also noted a four-fold increase over the two decades, which they suggest may be due to rising dog ownership and the promotion of dog walking as a means of keeping fit. 

Three-quarters of those suffering an injury while walking their dog on a lead were women, who were also 50% more likely than men to sustain any kind of fracture.

The overall risk of a fracture while dog walking was higher in adults aged 65 or over. Older dog walkers were 60% more likely to suffer a TBI than younger walkers. TBIs and hip fractures were the most common injuries reported in those over 65.

‘According to a 2021–22 national pet ownership survey, nearly 53% of US households own at least one dog,’ says Ridge Maxson, lead author and a third-year medical student at Johns Hopkins. ‘Dog ownership also increased significantly in recent years during the Covid-19 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.’

However, the authors were keen to stress they weren’t suggesting letting dogs run free.

‘Despite our findings, we also strongly encourage people to leash their dogs wherever it is legally required,’ said Edward McFarland, the study’s co-author and a director at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

A study by the PDSA revealed that 27% of UK households have a dog, with approximately 10.2million pooches across the country.

The study is published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

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