Sled dogs and mushers prepare for the annual Beargrease Race - DULUTH, Minn, USA 
Sled Dogs Prepare for Race with Vet Check-Ups
DULUTH, Minn.- In a swarm of last minute preparations for the race, competing dogs were brought in for a vet check.
The team of veterinarians checked each dog to monitor their hearts, hydration, lungs, injuries on their feet and/or the appearance of frostbite.
Dogs with minor cuts and frostbite could be managed, but anything more than that was turned away from participating.
“Pre–race vet checks are like buying insurance. We hope that nothing happens, but we want to make sure that we’ve done everything that we can do before things start to prevent something catastrophic from happening,” head vet Gregg Phillips said.
Each dog is marked after their check. If there’s a mark on their leg, they’re good to compete. If there’s a mark on their nose, they are out of the race.