A 2010 study in the Journal of Safety Research looking at a nationally representative sample of emergency room visits found more than 86,000 falls every year were linked to a cat or dog, most related to tripping over the animal. Your pet may be free to roam the rest of the year, but during a brief holiday visit by older relatives, consider confining him to one room.
The biggest dangers:
• Tripping over pet toys
• Untrained excited dogs who jump up
• Pets who sleep on the bed or at one’s feet
• Tripping over a cat or dog lurking around one’s ankles
• Getting tangled in a leash
Tip:
• Warn them. For many elders “falling” is a very scary word. Just knowing the danger might help them move more carefully.