A examine from Johns Hopkins College reveals the extent of canine strolling accidents which can be unhealthy sufficient to ship individuals to the ER. We hear from canine homeowners about – SQUIRREL! – their tumbles and falls.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
It is occurred to many people who share our lives with canines. You are on a stroll, then – squirrel. Off they go, pulling you behind like a tin can. That occurred on a winter’s day in Washington, D.C., to Gina Eppolito when Pemba, her Lab-shepherd combine, started to run.
GINA EPPOLITO: She went to cross the road at a sooner tempo than I may deal with on the ice.
SIMON: Gina was 5 months pregnant with twins.
EPPOLITO: I fell, slid on the sidewalk, landed on the ice, broke my wrist, and likewise then hit my stomach.
SIMON: Gina Eppolito went to the ER. Her infants had been effective, however she spent the remainder of her being pregnant along with her arm in a solid. The truth is, a brand new examine from Johns Hopkins College says strolling your canine is a quite common technique to get injured.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Go say hello.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Oh, hello.
SIMON: We went to a canine park in Alexandria, Va., to analyze and throw some balls. Of the 24 individuals watching their canines race round like jolly maniacs, two knew others who’d had their arms pulled out of socket strolling their canines. One knew of any individual who’d damaged a collarbone. Three had taken tumbles themselves.
JOCELYN COLEMAN: This little scratch right here on my knee (laughter) was simply from this little man right here.
SIMON: That is Jocelyn Coleman rolling up her pants leg to disclose a 3-inch scab. Her little man is the majestic chow combine Blaze. Ms. Coleman says she was texting when he noticed squirrel.
COLEMAN: He pulls me again, in fact. I fall down. I bought up, dusted myself off. I used to be effective.
SIMON: Ms. Coleman says she’s the one at fault. Blaze was simply doing what canines do. She’s glad her tumble did not land her within the ER.
RIDGE MAXSON: We discovered that canine walking-related accidents despatched roughly 420,000 adults to United States emergency departments between 2001 and 2020 with an annual common of over 20,000 visits.
SIMON: Ridge Maxson of Johns Hopkins is the lead creator of that new examine taking a look at canine strolling accidents. It reveals that adults over 65 and girls had been significantly susceptible to getting significantly harm. However Mr. Maxson says the advantages of canine strolling for the homeowners, like train and emotional well-being – who’s a great boy? – outweigh the dangers. He says simply train extra warning.
MAXSON: We advocate avoiding retractable leashes in addition to utilizing shorter leashes and, most significantly, remaining conscious of your environment and avoiding distractions for your self, comparable to texting whereas strolling, in addition to your canine. So that may seem like avoiding busy schoolyards or different areas the place you understand your canine is extra prone to get distracted.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOG PANTING)
MARK VOSS: Be careful. Do not need to blow out your ACL. That is one other technique to get injured – simply have a canine slam into you when you’re standing within the canine park.
SIMON: Again in Alexandria – squirrel – Mark Voss says that his two massive looking canines pulled him to the bottom a number of weeks in the past within the rain.
VOSS: Really, I’ve a little bit little bit of tenderness nonetheless in my hip.
SIMON: Mark Voss is aware of that fall may have been loads worse simply as he is aware of Memphis and Maybelline can not resist a great chase.
VOSS: You already know, there could also be occasions the place I may need been a little bit lazy previously and stated, ah…
(SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING)
VOSS: That’s an superior hound bark. However I will be extra diligent and vigilant once I’m strolling them to be sure that I’m in search of any distraction which may make them need to pull whether or not it is a canine or a squirrel or a hen, you understand, a sasquatch, no matter it’s that they are going after. I simply must be very proactive and cautious.
SIMON: Our different canine homeowners say leash coaching helps maintain them on their ft. (Talking in child discuss) And their good boys and good women?
Nicely, they are saying, so do these treats.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING)
VOSS: Received it. Thanks, babes.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING)
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