Injuries associated with... DOG BITES AND DOG ATTACKS

CHIRPP database, summary data for 1996, all ages

---

SUMMARY (1,237 records)

Injuries associated with dog bites and dog attacks were sustained most frequently by 5-9 year olds (28.5%). Of all injuries related to dog bites and dog attacks, 57.9% were to males. Injuries occurred most often in the summer, 37.7%, and most frequently between the hours of 4 and 8 p.m., (32.7%). Most injuries occurred at the victim's own home, 34.2% or other home, 30.3%. The majority of injuries occurred when the patient had no direct interaction with the dog, 28.9%. Injuries that required advice only or minor treatment accounted for 57.9% of patients, while 36.8% of patients needed medical follow-up after leaving the emergency department and 4.5% were admitted to hospital. Overall, the most frequent types of injury were bites, 73.1%, and the body part most often affected was the face, 40.5%.

---

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE SEARCH

In April 1998, a search of the CHIRPP database for the year 1996 (118,717 records) was conducted. No age restriction was specified in the search. Records were selected i) if they contained a factor code for dog (code 1301), mechanism for animal bite or sting (code 17) and nature of injury for bite (code 22) or ii) if the text fields contained the following strings: "DOG" or "CHIEN". Selected records were then scanned and eliminated if the injury was not directly related to a dog bite or dog attack. The total number of records identified was 1,237.

---

OVERALL OCCURRENCE

In 1996, dog bites and dog attacks represented 1.0% of all injuries in the CHIRPP database.

---

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION OF INJURIES

	NUMBER	PERCENT OF INJURIES	% MALE*	NUMBER/ 100,000 **
<=1 year	80	6.5	50.0	625
2-4 years	273	22.1	54.3	1,362
5-9 years	353	28.5	55.2	1,474
10-14 years	292	23.6	63.4	1,052
15-19 years	65	5.3	44.6	548
20+ years	174	14.1	60.9	780
Total	1,237	100.0	57.9	1,042

^* Of all injuries in the CHIRPP database in 1996, 60.1% were sustained by males.
^** The number of injuries associated with dog bites and dog attacks per 100,000 CHIRPP injuries of all types within the age group indicated. Because CHIRPP collects information from ten children's hospitals and only six of the general hospitals, there is a high number of young children in the database. Using number per 100,000 within an age group (instead of overall percent by age group) adjusts for different age group distributions.

---

TIME AT WHICH INJURY OCCURRED

	NUMBER	PERCENT OF INJURIES
8:00 a.m. to noon	127	10.3
Noon to 4 p.m.	250	20.2
4 p.m. to 8 p.m.	405	32.7
8 p.m. to midnight	223	18.0
Midnight to 8 a.m.	25	2.0
Unknown	207	16.7
Total	1,237	100.0

---

DAY DURING WHICH INJURY OCCURRED

	NUMBER	PERCENT OF INJURIES
Sunday	230	18.6
Monday	161	13.0
Tuesday	138	11.2
Wednesday	147	11.9
Thursday	154	12.4
Friday	153	12.4
Saturday	254	20.5
Total	1,237	100.0

---

SEASON DURING WHICH INJURY OCCURRED

	NUMBER	PERCENT OF INJURIES
Spring (March - May)	332	26.8
Summer (June - August)	467	37.7
Fall (September - November)	265	21.5
Winter (December - February)	173	14.0
Total	1,237	100.0

---

WHERE THE INJURY OCCURRED

		NUMBER		PERCENT OF INJURIES
Own home		423		34.2
indoor		242
outdoor (i.e., driveway, garden, yard)		126
not further specified		55
Other home		375		30.3
outdoor (i.e., driveway, garden, yard)		166
indoor		141
not further specified		68
Road		113		9.1
Public park		38		3.1
Private and commercial areas		21		1.7
School yard		15		1.2
Sports and recreation areas		14		1.1
Other area		22		1.8
Unknown or unspecified		216		17.5
Total		1,237		100.0

---

RELATIONSHIP OF VICTIM AND DOG

	NUMBER	PERCENT OF INJURIES
Dog of friend, acquaintance, neighbour or relative	434	35.1
Victim's dog or family dog	372	30.1
Stray or unknown dog	151	12.2
Unspecified (insufficient information provided)	280	22.6
Total	1,237	100.0

---

CIRCUMSTANCES AND FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO INJURY

Note: The following is a list of frequently occurring circumstances and factors in injuries related to dog bites and dog attacks. Each patient was assigned to a single category and percentages were based on 1,237 persons injured. Category assignment was based on the level of detail available in the description of the injury.

		NUMBER		PERCENT OF INJURIES
No interaction with the dog		358		28.9
no interaction at time of bite or attack		158
victim was cycling, rollerblading, walking, running, or skateboarding		99
victim's activity, not further specified		41
victim making a delivery or service call		32
victim walked, passed dog's territory		28
Ordinary interaction with dog (excluding playing)		239		19.3
victim trying to pet or handle the dog		160
victim feeding dog		70
walking dog or with dog and attacked by other dog		9
Playing with dog		217		17.5
playing with dog, no further details provided		176
playing with ball, stick, etc., with dog		24
rough play, e.g., wrestling with dog		17
Victim hurt, provoked or disturbed dog		97		7.8
dog bit after being teased or provoked		40
dog startled or disturbed while sleeping		34
dog bit after being hurt or hit by victim		23
Disciplining dog		70		5.7
restraining dog, scolding or retrieving dog		34
victim separating dogs in a dog fight		19
taking something away from the dog (not belonging to the dog)		17
Other circumstances		42		3.4
dog protecting owner		8
sick or injured dog		8
dog commanded to attack person		6
other		20
Unspecified or insufficient information provided		214		17.3
Total		1,237		100.0

---

NATURE OF INJURY AND BODY PART INJURED

Up to three injuries may be specified for each record. One hundred and eighty-eight patients (15.2%) sustained more than one injury. 137 patients sustained two injuries (11.1%), and 51 sustained three injuries (4.1%). There was no injury detected in 5 patients.

		NUMBER		PERCENT OF INJURIES
Bite		1,075		73.1
head, face, neck		430
hand, finger		219
forearm, wrist		126
lower leg, foot, toe		104
hip, thigh, knee		97
trunk		55
shoulder, upper arm		44
Cut, laceration		265		18.0
face		150
upper extremity		63
lower extremity		28
head, neck		15
trunk		9
Bruise, abrasion, inflammation		118		8.0
upper extremity		41
face		35
lower extremity		35
trunk		7
Eye injury		6		0.4
Fracture		3		0.2
finger, thumb		2
hand		1
Injury to nerve, muscle - face		2		0.1
Amputation or partial amputation - part of face		1		0.1
Crushing injury - external genitalia		1		0.1
Total		1,471		100.0

---

TREATMENT PROVIDED IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

	NUMBER	PERCENT OF INJURIES
Left without being seen	9	0.7
Advice only, or treatment with no need for follow-up	716	57.9
Treated, medical follow-up required	456	36.8
Admitted to hospital	56	4.5*
Fatal injury	0**	0.0
Total	1,237	100.0

^* The percentage of all CHIRPP injuries in 1996 that resulted in hospital admission was 5.8%.
^** Fatalities counted by CHIRPP include only those patients who were dead on arrival at the emergency department or who died in the emergency department. They do not include people who died before they could be taken to hospital or those who died after hospital admission. Only 0.03% of all CHIRPP injuries were fatal during 1996.

---

PROFILE OF PATIENTS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL

Of the 56 patients admitted to hospital, 35 were males and 21 were females; 19 patients (33.9%) were aged 5-9 years, 17 (30.4%) were aged 2-4 years, 8 (14.3%) were aged 10-14 years, 6 (10.7%) were one year and under, 4 (7.1%) were 20 years or older, and 2 were aged 15-19 years.

The circumstances surrounding dog bites and dog attacks in admitted patients are outlined below: 13 patients were playing with their dog. Twelve patients had no direct interaction with a dog: 9 patients were playing by themselves, 2 patients were walking past a dog in its yard, and 1 patient was delivering newspapers. Nine patients were interacting normally with a dog: 6 patients were trying to pet a dog, 2 were handling the dog's food, and 1 patient was sitting next to his dog when he was attacked by another dog. Five patients were injured while restraining or disciplining their dog. Two patients were walking or rollerblading when they were chased and bitten by a dog. One patient was bitten when she tripped and startled a sleeping dog. One patient was bitten by an injured dog. One patient was attacked by a dog while being carried by his cousin. One patient was bitten when she tried to approach a female dog with pups. Finally, a patient was letting a cat upstairs and was bitten by her own dog. In 10 patients, the circumstances involving dog bites or attacks were not specified.

Bites were sustained by 42 patients (30 of the face or head, 7 of the hand, 2 of the finger or thumb, 1 of the abdomen, 1 of the thigh and 1 of the lower leg). Ten patients suffered cuts and lacerations (8 of the face, 1 of the shoulder and 1 to the abdomen). Two patients sustained eye injuries, 1 patient suffered bruising, and 1 sustained a muscle injury to the face.

---

SUGGESTED REFERENCE AND REPORTING INFORMATION

This report and data from it may be copied and circulated freely, provided that the source is acknowledged. The following citation is recommended:

Injury data were obtained from the database of the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP), Public Health Agency of Canada.

If data from this report are included in any other document or publication, it should be noted, where appropriate, that the information comes from sixteen hospitals (ten pediatric and six general) across Canada.

For additional information on the CHIRPP program, please contact the Child Injury Section, Public Health Agency of Canada, by phone at (613) 941-9918 or by FAX at (613) 941-9927.