Pet ownership has been associated with a number of benefits, and an editorial in this Journal in November 2003 argued that pet ownership conferred health benefits, but the mechanism was unknown.1 It has also been suggested that pet ownership may have a negative effect on the health of elderly people because of the risk of falls.2 Falls among older people are common and are a major cause of injury; environmental hazards are well known as causes of falls and injuries.3,4 However, pets are rarely mentioned as an environmental hazard, and no studies have looked at actual fall-related injuries caused by pets.
We identified 16 cases, 13 (81%) in women. Animals implicated included dogs, cats, birds, goats and a donkey. The cases are summarised in the Box. There were no deaths recorded as a result of the fall-related fractures, but one of the animals involved (a cat) died when its owner fell and landed on it.
This study shows that serious fall-related injuries in older people may be caused by pets, most commonly dogs and cats. An Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey of pet ownership in 1994 indicated that 16% of the people aged over 60 years owned a dog, 15% owned a cat, and 9% owned a bird.5 It is not clear from that survey what proportion of people aged 75 years and over owned a pet, but our case series illustrates the risks that may be present for those who do.
Very few studies of factors related to falling identify pets as a hazard, and none have studied the risk in detail. Further research is necessary to understand the risk that pets pose, and to consider possible interventions to decrease this risk (such as ensuring pets are confined at time of activity, and being aware of the pet’s favourite sleeping position).4 It is important that any risks posed by pets be reduced as much as possible to allow the benefits of pet ownership to be properly appreciated.
Summary of case series of pet-related fracture
Patient no. |
Age (years) |
Sex |
Fracture |
Pet |
Circumstances of fracture |
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1 |
78 |
Female |
Femoral neck |
Goat |
Climbing stile over fence to feed mohair goats, slipped and fell to ground. |
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2 |
83 |
Female |
Pelvis |
Cat |
Tripped over cat, landed on cat. Cat deceased. |
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3 |
84 |
Male |
Neck of humerus |
Dog |
Taking Jack Russell terrier for walk using retractable leash. Dog ran round and round patient’s legs and pulled him over. |
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4 |
81 |
Female |
Pelvis |
Donkey |
Feeding donkey from bucket. Donkey nudged patient, pushing her over backwards. |
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5 |
79 |
Male |
Wrist |
Bird |
Budgerigar escaped from cage, perched on curtain rail. Patient stood on chair to reach bird and fell |
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6 |
78 |
Female |
Ribs |
Dog |
Slipped on puddle of urine from new Labrador pup. Fell against wooden arm of armchair. |
||||||||||
7 |
88 |
Female |
3rd cervical vertebra |
Cat |
Fell backwards over cat, landing on back with impact on posterior skull. |
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8 |
76 |
Female |
Nasal bones |
Dog |
Fell forwards while trying to prevent young puppy from diving into fish tank. |
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9 |
81 |
Female |
Ankle |
Bird |
Tripped down steps while carrying bird cage (containing canary) outside to clean it. |
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10 |
75 |
Male |
Ribs |
Dog |
Walking two greyhounds on leashes along street. Dogs pulled and patient slipped and fell against fence. |
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11 |
80 |
Female |
Neck of humerus |
Cat |
Reaching down to pick up cat’s food dish. Cat leant against legs and patient fell forwards over cat. |
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12 |
83 |
Female |
Wrist |
Cat |
Fell sideways in garden while trying to stop cat catching a blue tongue lizard. |
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13 |
82 |
Female |
Femoral neck |
Cat |
Tripped over black cat in darkened hallway. |
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14 |
86 |
Female |
Pelvis |
Dog |
Bringing garbage bin in from street while having golden retriever on leash. Became caught between garbage bin and dog, and fell. |
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15 |
83 |
Female |
Neck of humerus |
Dog |
Carrying small dog on veranda, tripped and fell onto tiled stairs. |
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16 |
80 |
Female |
Pelvis |
Cat |
Fall while attempting to move quickly out back door as cat carried live snake in through side door. |
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- 1. Headey B. Pet ownership: good for health? [editorial]. Med J Aust 2003; 179: 460-461. <MJA full text>
- 2. Nair BR, Flynn B. Pet owners and risk factors in cardiovascular disease [letter]. Med J Aust 2004; 180: 144. <MJA full text>
- 3. Guideline for the prevention of falls in older persons. American Geriatrics Society, British Geriatrics Society, and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Panel on Falls Prevention. J Am Geriat Soc 2001; 49: 664-672.
- 4. Clemson L, Roland M, Cumming RG. Types of hazards in the homes of elderly people. Occupat Ther J Res 1997; 17: 200-213.
- 5. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian social trends 1995. Culture and leisure. Special feature: household pets. Canberra: ABS, 2002. Available at: www.abs.gov.au/ (accessed Sep 2004).
Abstract
Objective: To describe fall-related injuries due to pets in an older population.
Design: Case series.
Participants and setting: Patients aged 75 years and over presenting to the emergency department of a metropolitan hospital in northern Sydney over 18 months, with a fracture directly related to their pet.
Main outcome measures: Type of fracture; circumstances of injury.
Results: 16 cases (mean patient age, 81 years) are described; 13 (81%) involved women. Animals of five species were involved, with cats and dogs being the most common pet hazard.
Conclusions: Pets are a potential environmental hazard in the occurrence of fall-related injuries in older people, with dogs and cats most likely to be involved. Women appear more likely than men to be injured.