A THOROUGH EXAM – Dr. Rick Brown, right, completes a head to back check of this dog’s joints and muscles during the Yukon Quest vet check at Northerm Windows and Doors on Saturday. - Whitehorse YT 
Dogs examined at Quest vet check
The mushers in the Yukon Quest 1,000-mile race are one step closer to the start line after having their dogs examined at the mandatory vet check on Saturday at Northerm Windows and Doors.
Starting at eight in the morning, the mushers were allotted into time slots. Four tables were set up all with a team of veterinarians and techs to assure the dogs were healthy leading into the Quest.
Dr. Rick Brown was one of the vets volunteering at the check. Brown says he and the other vets do a thorough examination to assure the dogs are fit to race.
“We are going over the whole system of the dog,” said Brown. “We are looking at the muscular-skeletal system, making sure there are no problems with muscle injuries, no problems with paws or joints. We are looking at their heart and lungs making sure there are no issues there.”
As well as the joints and the muscles, areas of the dog that would be expected to be checked before they run 1,000-miles, there mouths and eyes were also checked.
“We look at their mouth with an oral exam and their lymph nodes,” said Brown. “Any signs of frostbite or skin irritation, anything that can affect them while they are out there. Even a tooth problem can affect them. We just look to make see if it is going to be an issue while they are on the race.”
Although many of the vets who were working the check will not be following the trail, everything was noted so the vets who are stationed at the vet checks have all the appropriate information about the dogs to properly assess them during the mandatory examinations at the checkpoints.
“We document everything so they have a baseline,” said Brown. “So the vets that are on the trail can look back at what we saw and that is every little thing.”
Before the dogs were checked they got weighed. One of the main things the vets on the trail will look for are the dog’s body conditions compared to what they were scored at the vet check.
“Especially they look at body condition,” said Brown. “Are they keeping their weight on during the race because they can see what we scored them at beforehand. If they are losing weight they know they have to keep that in consideration. It all depends on whether the dog is eating on the trail the way they should be, so that is definitely one of the things they watch closely.”
To assess the dog’s body condition the vets use the Purina Nestle Body Condition Index to make sure the dogs are at a healthy weight.