Make dog-walking a PAWS-itively good time with your best friend

By Dr. Kristen Ploetze

Here at KOC, we love our pets! It can be hard to acknowledge that they do come with additional risks to our health.

From 2001 to 2020, the estimated number of adults seen at emergency departments for dog-walking injuries increased significantly, from 7,300 to 32,300 a year. Over 50% of these patients sustained injuries to their arms and hands. Fingers can be broken, dislocated, and even amputated when caught in a dog leash.

Tips to avoid injury:

• Never wrap any kind of leash around your fingers or hand.
• Wear comfortable but stable shoes to avoid falls.
• Know your surroundings.
• Choose the right leash. Many retractable leashes have been recalled due to safety concerns and amputation risk.
• Good training for you and your dog is essential to a safe walking experience.

If you or a family member has sustained an injury with pain, swelling, bruising, or deformity to the hand or wrist, please call (865) 558-4444 or request an appointment online with one of our hand specialists.

Need to see a provider today? Many of our hand specialists have same-day appointment spots for acute injuries.

See below for the good pups of the Hand Team!

Citation: Maxson R, Leland CR, McFarland EG, Lu J, Meshram P, Jones VC. Epidemiology of Dog Walking-Related Injuries among Adults Presenting to US Emergency Departments, 2001-2020. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023 Sep 1;55(9):1577-1583. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003184. Epub 2023 Apr 14. PMID: 37057718.