Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Study finds adult admissions for dog bites tripled in 20 years
Direct health care costs to the NHS for treatment of dog bites peaked at £71 million in 2017/2018.

Researchers say more work on prevention strategies is needed

A new study by the University of Liverpool has highlighted the urgent need to tackle the public health issue of dog bites, revealing that adult hospital admission rates for dog bites tripled in England between 1998-2018.

The study – published in Scientific Reports – looked at the incidence and socio-demographics of patients admitted to English NHS hospitals for dog bites between 1998-2018.

It found that annual hospital admission rates rose from six to 15 per 100,000 people, with more than 8,000 admissions in 2018.

Children aged 14 years or under made up 25 per cent of all admissions, however their incidence rate remained relatively stable – averaging 14 admissions per 100,000 people per year.

However, the rates in adults tripled from five to 15 admissions per 100,000 people, with the largest increase seen in women between the ages of 35-64.

Admission rates were revealed to be higher in rural areas compared to urban areas and the highest incidence of bites was found in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

Direct health care costs to the NHS also increased, peaking at an estimated £71 million in the financial year 2017/2018.

Dr John Tulloch, lead author and an epidemiologist at the University of Liverpool, said: “Despite sustained education and preventative campaigns across large parts of society, the issue of dog bites continues to grow and is a huge public health issue.

“Dogs provide large benefits to society, especially in these difficult times where they can provide great companionship. However, working and living with animals can pose an injury risk. Our study presents just the tip of the iceberg, as it only includes injuries severe enough to require hospital admission.”

The researchers state that further work is needed to understand what is increasing the rates of these incidents in England, so that effective prevention strategies can be developed.

 

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.