Study: Walking the dog comes with risk for elderly folks

April 11 is National Pet Day. Of course, man’s best friend often brings love, affection and companionship. But according to one recent study, featured in the Cleveland Clinic News, for the elderly, a dog can also bring a trip to the emergency room. But for the elderly – a dog can also bring a trip to the emergency room, according to one recent study. Research published in JAMA Surgery shows dog walking-related fractures are common in older people.

Chad Deal, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic, did not take part in the study, but sides with the findings, stating that he encounters a “canine fracture” at least once a month.

Read more at HPN.

“The typical scenario would be walking the dog; the dog lunges at another dog, or the dog runs around some type of pole, and the dog walker trips over the leash,” Deal said.

In the study, the researchers looked at consumer product safety commission data from 2004 to 2017 and analyzed injury reports among people age 65 and older who underwent roughly 100 hospital emergency department visits. What they discovered is that fractures associated with walking a dog on a leash have increased significantly – mostly female patients. Upper extremity fractures – the wrist, arm and forearm – were most common, however about 17 percent of the injuries were hip fractures. Deal says the number of fractures that occur is an important discovery because some 20 percent of women, and 40 percent of men, die within one year of suffering a hip fracture.

This is not to say elderly people shouldn’t walk dogs. In fact, it’s a great way to maintain good health and that such falls can be prevented, said Deal, if people stay fairly fit and retain some physical strength.

“It really pays to have good balance and good muscle strength, because, a lot of times, if the dog pulls and your muscles are healthy, and they’re strong, you can have countermeasures that prevent you from falling,” he said, adding that it’s also important that dog owners ensure their pets are well-behaved and obedient. It’s also a good idea to walk where there are not a lot of other dogs to cause interference or excitement.