Dog-related injuries requiring medical attention in Skaraborg district, Sweden

The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with dog-related injuries by analysing data collected from 5908 patients seeking treatment at healthcare facilities in Skaraborg district, Sweden, over the years 2001-2016.

To describe factors associated with dog-related injuries, we analysed variables from four categories: people, that is, characteristics (gender and ages) of the patients who were injured; the circumstances in which the injuries occurred; the causes and types of injuries caused by dogs (injury mechanisms); and whether the injuries resulted in hospitalisation.

Most injuries occurred in residential settings (58%). Half of the reported injuries (n=2954) were due to dog bites, with the same number of patients who were injured in non-bite-related events, comprising a second group. Injury mechanisms for dog-related injuries other than bites varied, as did locations where the various injuries occurred. However, slightly more than half of all non-bite-related injuries were caused by falls, especially falls on the same level involving slips and trips (n= 831, 55.3% of all fall-related injuries). Dog bites were the primary injury cause for younger groups, while non-bite injuries were the leading injury cause for adults aged 45 years and older.

The study showed that men and younger age groups were more likely to be injured via dog bites, while older women were more likely to be injured by tripping or falling over dogs. These findings imply that separate injury prevention strategies are required to address the different factors associated with both injury types.