Beargrease Vets Examine Dogs On Race Day, One Last Time Before First Checkpoint

Last minute injuries can come from dogs getting antsy waiting, or even frostbitten tongues in colder weather.

DULUTH, Minn.- While mushers, handlers and the dog teams get blinded by excitement before they start on the trail, the Beargrease veterinarians were busy making sure the dogs were in race-shape Sunday.

At Saturday’s final official vet check, mushers could get extra dogs checked and cleared, just in case one of them gets injured overnight or at the starting line.

Those injuries can come from dogs getting antsy waiting or even frostbitten tongues in colder weather.

“Sometimes we’ll see, when they get squirrely, sometimes there’s a nip here and a bite there,” Head Vet Gregg Phillips said.

“And if we see any blood we can radio ahead to our team that’s gonna be at the first checkpoint and make sure that they check those dogs as they get in,” he said.

There are 11 vets, 8 vet techs, and one EMT for the humans working the Beargrease.

“I always think it’s kinda funny, we’ve got 19 people looking after dogs — and then 1 EMT looking after the people,” said Phillips.