(CNN) -- Dogs and cats soothe the soul and provide companionship, but a report released this week suggests they sometimes cause broken bones and sprains, too.
Most data on human-pet relationships have been devoted to the health benefits, such as lower blood pressure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year, more than 86,000 fall injuries are caused by pets. Dogs are the biggest culprits, causing 88 percent of the injuries. Cats cause 11.7 percent of the falls, according to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
CDC researchers formulated the national estimates based on data from 66 emergency rooms.
"Many of them occurred while people were walking their dog or chasing either their dog or cat," said Judy Stevens, an epidemiologist with the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. "Over half the injuries with dogs were either falls or tripping over the pet or they were pushed or pulled by the pet."
Pets can suddenly rush to the door or scurry around the owners' feet, causing these accidents, experts said.
At least once a week, a patient injured by an overexcited dog or an unexpected chew toy walks into the office of Dr. Leon S. Benson, an orthopedic surgeon and chief of hand surgery at the NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Illinois. These patients often have wrist fractures after falling on an outstretched hand.
You would think I would have the strongest abs and back muscles on the planet from bending over and picking up Callie's toys so I don't trip over them in the middle of the night! I don't worry about Abbie injuring me, she's too busy tripping over herself! :-)
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2 comments:
Let's just hope that if you trip over the Callie girl when you and your small bladder are on the way to the bathroom, that you don't fall on her :))) Abigail told me she is upset that you have Callie's picture and not hers on the blog. Abigail conveyed that she has been a member of the Lowe household for a much longer duration AND deserves more respect for the loyalty that she has shown.
Not nice...I'll have you know I've dropped a little weight! Also, Abbie's picture is on the blog, you have to hunt for it, but it's there. Part of the problem is she takes up so much space that the picture has to be REALLY big. She knows her place. Queen Clutz rules the roost!
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