Injury

As the mileage increases in training, so can the risk of injury. These dogs constantly amaze me, but they are not above the rules of excessive exercise. Thankfully, we have not had any injuries yet, but there are several preventative measures that can be taken now.
For instance, after running, different muscles get sore in different dogs. Bill has recognized throughout the years which dogs need attention and where. Luma is a bit older and can get sore hips; Spur pulls hard and really works his shoulders; Kayenta is all legs and that sometimes works against her. Therefore, I have taken to giving the dogs massages.  If you massage a few minutes after the run, it helps the muscles warm back up. Rubbing the muscles in their sensitive areas will help from future seizing and uncomfortableness. The younger dogs need a lot of work since their muscles are not fully developed. They won't reach their peak growth until 18 months, so until that point they may be more susceptible to injury. Once they are fully grown, they'll learn how to take care of their bodies and use it to their full advantage.

Luma

The types of food we're giving the dogs can also help. At the start of training, we switched to feeding twice a day. The higher intake of calories helps build new muscle. Again, the amount of food is dependent on each dog. More food is given to the dogs that have hound in them, such as Spit, Spur, Zion, and Kayenta, since they burn fat more quickly than the other dogs (they also gain muscle more quickly). The smaller dogs, like Russet and Safina, don't need as much food as they need high protein to build muscle. Therefore, we have recently started supplementing  their dinner. It is no longer just the Red Paw Athletic Dog Kibble; now there are salmon treats, vegetables, and condensed meat in the mix. Around noon each day, we mix about 10 cups of kibble with several cups of the dried salmon and any leftover vegetables we have. The salmon is a treat for the dogs; they can't get enough of the stuff. The really good stuff is the meat though: Pro-Meat 100. It is basically dried meat that comes out like little pellets. Four ounces of this dried meat is equivalent to one pound of fresh meat. It is a great way to get a lot of protein into the dogs. With all this food, it's hard for them not to get fat...so we keep running!
As much as we work to prevent injuries, it is inevitable that it will happen. The Iditarod is an intense race where a lot can go wrong. Thankfully, in my opinion, Bill doesn't believe in pushing the dogs to their breaking point. He truly cares for them and looks out for their best interest. Sasha, in a race a few years ago, was falling behind and just looked tired. Rather than forcing her to continue, Bill took her out of the race. Some dogs just get tired out. Running 125 miles for 8 days is not easy for anyone. Other injuries can be more unexpected. In the Yukon Quest a few years ago, Zion was running the race of his life...until his testicles froze to the ice one night. He was a little hesitant of lying down after that.

Zion

I care so much for each and every dog, I can only hope that they all make it out of the race ok. For now, I can help to prepare them and get them into shape. The rest of the time, it's up to them to tell us when something is not right.