Animal Care Clinic San Luis Obispo Veterinary Hospital
Written by Nicole Gunkel, RVTIf you were trying to compare a sled dog to a human athlete, the marathon runner would probably be the best choice. They tend to develop similar medical problems. Gastric ulcers are one of the biggest concerns for both sled dogs and marathon runners. The cause is not completely understood at this time. Providing antacid medications during the race has been used successfully recently. Research in this area is ongoing. Surprisingly, muscle strains are not very common as these are well-conditioned athletes.
Foot care is essential, and the paws of each dog are checked repeatedly throughout the race. Mushers massage their dogs, apply foot ointment, and go through hundreds of booties during the race. Booties are used to aid in thermal regulation and protection of footpads on the ice.
Nutrition is critical for sled dogs. Most mushers feed their dogs a combination of fresh meat, fat and dry manufactured diets. Where human marathon runners often get much of their energy from carbohydrates, sled dogs need fat and protein as a power source. Sled dogs, when at peak performance, can burn up to 10,000 calories in one day! You can see why meat and fat is an important component to keep their muscles strong. Dry diets and supplements are also important to make sure dogs get the proper balance of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which are just as important to overall health. Vitamin E is supplemented in higher amounts in sled dogs as well, to help prevent oxidative damage to muscles and other tissues.
Before and during the race, dogs can be pulled from competition, or “dropped.” The most common reasons for dropping a dog are attitude issues, fatigue, illness, immaturity, being “in heat,” lack of speed, or just musher strategy. Mushers complete a “dropped dog form” that indicates the reason the dog is being dropped. All dropped dogs are flown to Anchorage via the Iditarod Air Force with the help of some commercial flights. An entire team of volunteers look after the dropped dogs to be sure they receive the care they need, and ultimately reunite with their musher.
As you can see, sled dog racing and the Iditarod race are an elaborate dance of athletes, teamwork, mushers, sled dogs, volunteers and insurmountable obstacles of terrain and weather. Check out the Iditarod website for more information and keep posted here for pictures and stories I will share from my experience at the 40th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race!
As a resource, much of my information for this article came from the Iditarod website.
Written by Nicole Gunkel, RVT
It’s true that the mushers who train for and compete in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and similar races are athletes, and maybe just a little bit nutty to do what they do. However, I think the true athletes in this race are really the dogs!
Each race team consists of 12-16 dogs. Of these, a minimum of 5 dogs must be attached to the tow team at the finish. Teams often start with a larger number of dogs, and drop dogs along the way for various reasons. What is a sled dog, you ask? The ISDVMA (International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association) definition of a “sled dog” indicates the dog should have a willingness to be harnessed, to pull and participate in the activity, to be capable of tolerating certain environmental extremes, to meet specific health parameters, to be adequately conditioned and to be properly vaccinated and dewormed. There is no breed requirement when defining a “sled dog.”
To produce athletic dogs that are considered the top sled dog athletes, many are crossbred. The hybridized Alaskan Husky is what is most often seen. Breeds that have been bred, mixed or even raced purebred include: Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Labrador Husky, German Shorthaired Pointer, Standard Poodle and German Shepherd. My own Uncle Gary used to do quite well racing Irish Setters in the lower, Western United States in the 1960’s. Often his team was one of the fastest and not surprisingly drew quite a following!
All sled dogs must go through pre-race diagnostics and exams, prior to competition. This is where I come in! Beginning in early February, I will be assisting in blood collection for complete blood counts and chemistry panels. These blood panels will be interpreted and discussed with each musher by the head veterinarian to help determine health status and which dogs will be chosen for the team. For more specific blood panel information click here. We will also run ECG’s, short for electrocardiogram, which looks at the electrical rhythm of the heart. Though sudden death from a heart arrhythmia is rare, it is monitored as a part of the entire health screen and part of a scientific study. Microchips are implanted as a method of permanent identification, linked to blood tests, and are scanned on race day for eligibility verification. Over 10,000 veterinary physical examinations will also be conducted before the race. For more specifics on health concerns check out the veterinary information page at the Iditarod website.
I am very excited to meet these tremendous athletes and be a part of the well-oiled machine of volunteers that has made the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race such a world-renowned event! Watch for my next article where I will discuss health and nutrition in sled dogs.
As a resource, much of my information for this article came from the Iditarod website.
Written by Nicole Gunkel, RVT
I have worked at Animal Care Clinic as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) for almost 8 years now! As much as I enjoy my work at ACC, I have always wanted to volunteer, using my skills to benefit the community. For the last two years, I have wanted to volunteer in Alaska at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Well, this year it is finally happening and I am so excited!
I will be in Alaska from mid-February through early March. This will allow me to help with pre-race physical exams and laboratory tests and also to be present for the start of the race. Since one of my responsibilities at Animal Care Clinic is managing our website and social media, I am excited to share my experiences in our blogs. In this article I will explain a little bit about the Iditarod and how it has fascinated me. In future posts I will talk about what I will be doing as a volunteer and I will post pictures and tell you about my experience while I am there!
The Historic Iditarod Trail winds 1,150 miles from Seward to Nome, Alaska. It was used primarily to deliver mail and supplies and to transport gold via sled dogs. The trail is named after the town of Iditarod that lies along the route. Most recognize it as the life-saving highway that was used by a relay of 20 mushers in 1925 to deliver diptheria serum to Nome when an outbreak struck. Eventually airplanes overtook the use of sled dogs in transportation. After 50 year of minimal use, the trail became overgrown, until Joe Redington, Sr. began repairs. Joe, also known as “Father of the Iditarod,” held the first official Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1973 after a couple of previous attempts. The official length of the current Iditarod Sled Dog Race is 1,049 miles, commemorating Alaska as the 49th state.
Mile zero of the historic Iditarod Trail in Seward, Alaska
Many have competed in what has been called, “The Last Great Race,” from all over the world. Rick Swenson is the only 5-time winner. He has competed 20 times and never finished out of the top ten. Dick Mackey has the closest 1-second photo finish in 1978, just barely edging out Swenson. Normon Vaughan finished the race 4-times, once at the age of 88! Susan Butcher was the first woman to place in the top-ten and has won the race 4-times. Libby Riddles was the first woman to win the race in 1985.
Stay tuned and I’ll go into more about the dogs, their care and what I expect to be doing during my volunteer time in Alaska! If you would like to learn more about this amazing race check out the Iditarod website. Or read one of my favorite Iditarod books, “Winterdance” by Gary Paulsen. Happy trails until next time!
As a resource, much of my information for this article came from the Iditarod website.
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