Injured dog owners could be costing NHS £23m a year

Dog owners injured while walking their pets could be costing the NHS about £23m a year, new research reveals.

Experts from Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and Singapore’s Sengkang Hospital reviewed five US studies of almost 500,000 dog-walking injuries. They found women made up three-quarters of the injuries and 31% of the cases were in over-65s.

In addition, the researchers – writing in the journal Injury Prevention – found that broken fingers were the most common injury.

The researchers said: “While finger fractures were the most frequently reported injury, the cost analysis in this review focused on distal radius [wrist] fractures due to their substantial economic impact.

“We estimated the potential annual cost of dog walking-related wrist fractures in the UK to exceed £23m.”

However, they said the total economic cost would be bigger due to loss of productivity from some people needing time off work.

The researchers added: “Preventative measures, including safer leash practices and public safety guidance, should be implemented to reduce injury risk.”

They also recommended enforcing proper dog training to minimise the chances of pets hurting their human companions, as well as teaching “optimal dog walking practices”.