ID: Blood Draws and ECGs

Every dog that is being considered to run the Iditarod, either in the Ceremonial start or the race proper, undergoes an extensive range of medical testing before they are deemed fit and eligible to start by Head Veterinarian Dr Stu Nelson and his team.

The first stage of that testing occurred today for us when we took 24 dogs to see the team of volunteer vet techs who take a blood sample and perform an ECG on each dog. This is also the first time in the race that the microchip number is recorded. This will be tested several times before and during the race to match medical records and to ensure the dog is who we say it is!

A full blood panel is done for the dogs that includes blood count indicators such as hematocrit (the percentage of red blood cells), and a platelet count, plus full blood chemistry including sodium, potassium, glucose etc. The tests are run by specialists at the Providence Alaska Medical Centre in Anchorage and there is a specific set of measures the results are compared against to determine if the dog is healthy for racing.

The second part of this testing is an ECG – exactly the same as a human would get – to measure electrical function and heart rhythms and can alert the doctors to any anomalies that might rule the dog out of racing.

All the old hands took the blood draw and being asked to lay still on the exam table all in their stride. Some of the newbies needed extra reassurance, then there was Jefe who needed “quiet time” where all hands were on deck to calm him from his regular excitable state.

Sincere thanks to Tabitha and her team Sabrina, Katie, Christina and Rachel who travelled to Fairbanks so all the local mushers didn’t have to venture down to Anchorage for testing. Your care and love for the dogs is evident and is much appreciated.