We're walking our pets the wrong way

Doctors say we’re walking our pets the wrong way… are they barking mad?

FORGET Brexit and Theresa May’s resignation. The most important debate of the week is going on in parks and fields right now after experts told the nation’s 12 million dog owners we’ve been walking our pets the wrong way!

It turns out that tens of thousands of us have inadvertently been putting ourselves at risk of serious hand injuries because we’re holding leads incorrectly. What should be a walk in the park is turning into a trip to A&E. Experts at the British Society for Surgery of the Hand say they are regularly treating patients who have hurt themselves while walking their dogs. A single hospital – Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust – treated 30 serious injuries as a result of “dog lead or collar misuse” in just one year, according to the society. Lacerations, fractures, dislocated fingers, tissue loss, friction burns and scarring, the gruesome list of dog walking-related injuries is enough to turn you into a cat person! Consultant surgeon Rebecca Dunlop reports: “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.

To find out more, read my article in the The Express. Click here (will open in a new window)