Dr. Betsy Oesch
Joyce Brein
Who gives us more unconditional love then our furry friends? On February 13 Dr. Betsy Oesch gave a veterinarian’s perspective on caring for the Iditarod Race dogs. She has been on the veterinarian team for the last five years and will be going to Alaska once again for the March 5 race. Dr. Oesch explained how the checkpoints are managed and how decisions are made about the health of the animals. She treats animal injuries and determines if the animal is able to continue the race.
Each musher (dog team leader) can start the race with as many as 16 dogs but no less than eight. In the 2016 race, 86 mushers are signed up to enter this grueling race, which starts at Anchorage (for the festivities) and restarts officially in Wasilla and goes to Nome. The race is 1,049 miles. This is a timed race, but there are mandatory rest requirements consisting of one eight-hour rest before the mushers reach the Yukon and one other mandatory 24-hour rest stop of their choosing. These races were started by Joe Reddington in 1973, and at that time the race took approximately three weeks; today the race takes less than nine days. The dogs weigh 45-65 lbs. and intake 1200 calories.
Dr. Oesch narrated as she showed pictures of the race and the conditions that both the animals and staff must endure. Dr. Oesch brought memorabilia for guests to view. She explained the survival gear that is needed for minus-40 degrees for both humans and dogs (i.e. sleeping, food and bathroom conditions). Dr. Oesch shared that two woman have won the Iditarod Race so far: Susan Butcher and Libby Reynolds.
The race trail is historically a serum run trail used to save children from a diphtheria outbreak in Nome. The lifesaving serum had no other way to reach the frozen city in the dead of winter prior to airplane traffic. Dog sled teams followed this route in various sections to carry the serum to the next checkpoint where the serum was passed on to the next team. The route takes a northern or southern route on alternative years to help preserve historical towns and gold rush cities and mail route sites along the trail. These cabins and towns are mostly native Alaskans and bring commerce and excitement to the regions during the cold winter season. The brutal route, mostly remote, is harsh and involves mountains, interior plains and the frozen Yukon River and costal winds at the end of the race.
Dr. Oesch graduated from Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. In 1993 she moved to Texas and currently works at the Boat Club Road Animal Hospital in Ft. Worth. Through her contact at TAMU veterinary school she met the head veterinarian of the Iditarod Races and was selected. The team consists of 40-50 veterinarians from the USA and around the world.