Haw? Gee? HUH?! An Education in Sled Dog Medicine

By Alexandra Ripperger - University of Minnesota

            A pivotal moment in my veterinary medicine education happened sneakily in January 2015, at a casual “Canine Club” lunch meeting. Dr. Gregg Phillips was giving a talk on sled dogs and the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth, MN. Over the course of the hour, Dr. Philips explained the unique physiological characteristics of sled dogs that make them one of the most elite animal athletes in the world. I had no sled dog experience, but being a collegiate athlete and life-long dog lover, this special subset of canine sports medicine blew me away. Sled dogs can run for ridiculously long distances, at a blistering pace, in subzero temperatures, with minimal recovery time, before doing it all over again. I had to see these animals in action. I signed up to volunteer with pre-race vet checks at not only the Beargrease, but also the City of Loppet Skijoring and Dogsled Race. Both these races provided an incredible introduction to sled dog medicine, dog handling, and race protocol.

Then, my two classmates, Lara Stephens-Brown and Kalli Doenges, and I were offered the opportunity to volunteer at the CopperDog 150 Sled Dog Race in Calumet, Michigan. We spent four days there, not only helping with pre-race vet checks and checkpoint exams, but also attending four lectures by Dr. Michael Davis, a world-renowned sled dog physiologist. Dr. Davis presented astounding facts. For example, no one has ever been able to find the VO2max of a sled dog- it isn’t possible to keep the study room cold enough to mimic race temperatures without the treadmills breaking. And although sled dogs use up an expected amount of their glycogen stores during the first day of racing, by the fourth day, they have replenished the stores back to the original amount! That is the equivalent of a person doing a triathlon for four days in a row and ending with the same glycogen concentration as when they started. Moral of the story? Sled dogs are fatigue-proof.

After our trip, Lara, Kalli, and I decided that although our university had an established Canine Club, sled dog medicine was a unique subset that warranted its own group. Our executive board now devotes extra time and effort to secure volunteer access at various races across the Midwest for our club members. In addition to volunteering at races, we recently hosted an orthopedic wet lab allowing students to practice their physical exam and orthopedic evaluation skills on actual sled dogs. We also regularly bring in sled dog veterinarians for lunch lectures. Finally, it has been a slow process, but our club is anxiously waiting to hear back from the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association (I.S.D.V.M.A) regarding our club being its first student chapter. We hope this designation will demonstrate our commitment to sled dog medicine and provide our club with further networking opportunities.

Like me, our club president Lara Stephens-Brown had little prior sled dog experience before last year. She says, “attending the CopperDog was hands-down one of the best parts of my first year in vet school. It was hard work, but so educational. After working the CopperDog and a couple other sled dog races in the Midwest, I'm excited to continue learning about these fantastic athletes in my second year and beyond. I didn't know I would fall in love with this sport and the people that keep it going as much as I have, but I definitely credit attending the CopperDog as the tipping point for me!”

As far as Lara, Kalli, and I know, the University of Minnesota Sled Dog Medicine Club is the only club of its kind in the United States. It is amazing how one lunch lecture opened up a whole new aspect of veterinary medicine to us, and now sled dog medicine is one of our passions. We are thrilled with and grateful for the support and encouragement we have received from the sled dog community. If any other veterinary students are interested in sled dog medicine and would like to get more information, we would love to talk you! Please feel free to contact us at sleddogs@umn.edu.