Dog walkers could be putting themselves at risk of ‘many serious injuries’ by not holding a lead properly, surgeons have warned.
Hospitals up and down the country have seen owners coming in with fractures, dislocations, lacerations and friction burns caused by ‘dog lead or collar misuse’.
People have also knocked their fingers out of place by hooking them under their dog’s collar before the animal lurches or makes a sudden movement.
As well as being painful and traumatic, some injuries can be seriously debilitating and take up to a year to heal – or in extreme cases lead to amputation.
Jillian Tisdale, 65, suffered a ‘degloving’ injury – where the skin and some tissue is ripped off – after her dog’s lead became wrapped around her middle fingers.
She had to have the top of her middle finger amputated and a skin graft placed to repair the damage.
Jillian said the retractable lead became like a ‘fileting knife’ and caused her ‘terrible pain’.
She added: ‘I still can’t form a proper fist yet and I’m continuing to do exercises to strengthen my hand.’
The British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH) has issued advice on how to hold leads and collars in a way that minimises the risk of injury.
They recommend that dog owners should not wrap the lead around their wrists, hands or fingers, or hook their fingers under the dog’s collar.
Instead, hold the loop of the lead in your hand and train the dog to walk next to you.
Tips for training your dog to walk on the lead
- Start by standing still and quiet. Allow your dog the full length of his lead. Remain still and quiet when your dog is ignoring you but as soon as he pays you attention reward him with food.
- Once you have your dog’s attention you can move off using your voice and treats to encourage your dog to stay close to you. Always reward your dog when they are walking on a loose lead.
- If your dog moves too far away from you, stop and be still again until he pays you attention. When he does this, reward and move off again. Do this every time your dog moves away.
- Practice this regularly.
- Walking around distractions can cause dogs to pull. Place something your dog would really like to get to on the floor, like a toy. If your dog pulls on the lead to get towards the toy, stop and call your dog towards you. His reward for walking on a loose lead is getting to his toy. Here the dog learns that pulling just slows things down.
The surgeons also advise keeping larger dogs on short leads to prevent them building up speed.
There are approximately eight and a half million dogs kept as pets in the UK, according to the RSPCA.
The BSSH said one hospital alone, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, saw 30 serious hand injuries caused by misuse of dog leads and collars in just one year.
Consultant surgeon Rebecca Dunlop, from Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, told the Daily Mail: ‘Dogs have a wide range of health benefits for their owners, including reducing stress and helping people stay active.
‘But having seen many serious injuries caused by dog leads and collars, I want dog lovers to be aware of the simple steps they can take to avoid severe damage to their hand.
‘We want to ensure that dog owners are able to carry on enjoying time with their dogs without risking damage to their hand and time in hospital.’
