Purpose: Dog walking is a popular daily activity, yet information regarding its injury burden is limited. This study describes the epidemiology of injuries related to leash-dependent dog walking among adults presenting to United States (US) emergency departments from 2001 to 2020.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database to identify adults (≥ 18 years) presenting to US emergency departments with leash-dependent dog walking-related injuries between 2001-2020. Outcomes included annual estimates of injury incidence, injury characteristics, and risk factors for sustaining a fracture or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Weighted estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were generated using NEISS sample weights.
Results: Between 2001 and 2020, an estimated 422,659 adults presented to US emergency departments with injuries related to leash-dependent dog walking. The annual incidence increased more than 4-fold during this period (n = 7282 vs n = 32,306, P < .001). Most patients were women (75%) and adults aged 40 to 64 years (47%), with a mean age of 53 ± 0.5 years. Patients commonly injured their upper extremity (51%) and were injured while falling when pulled or tripped by the leash (55%). The 3 most common injuries were finger fracture (6.9%), TBI (5.6%), and shoulder sprain/strain (5.1%). On multivariate analysis, fracture risk among dog walkers was higher in adults aged ≥65 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.1; 95%CI, 1.8-2.5) and women (OR 1.5, 95% CI, 1.3-1.7). Risk of TBI was also elevated among older dog walkers (OR 1.6, 95%CI, 1.3-2.0).
Conclusions: Dog walking is associated with a considerable and rising injury burden. Dog owners should be informed of this injury potential and advised on risk-reduction strategies.
