Our Vet's Corner
Hello! from the Cantwell Classic Sled Dog Race Head Veterinarian,
Jayne Hempstead DVM.
Dear Mushers;
Welcome to the Vet’s corner! I am here to help make your and your dogs’ experience with this race a very positive one. I look forward to working with you and assisting in any way possible to help ensure healthy and happy dog teams throughout the race. Excellence in care and management of these canine athletes is a priority on this race and of course as you already know goes hand-in-hand with allowing them to reach their competitive potential.
We will provide medications needed for medical situations occurring during the race. We will not be providing foot ointments. I would encourage you to put together a vet kit of your own with some basic bandaging material, your favorite foot ointment, one good antibiotic to use if needed until you can consult your regular veterinarian, a thermometer, topical wound antibiotic/antiseptic ointment, hand warmers, Imodium AD(anti-diarrhea meds), and possibly metronidazole. Consult your regular vet to help you put a kit together if you don’t already have one.
Consult the rules for the required vaccinations. Please bring a list of the dogs you plan to race including the name, sex, age, and date of the vaccination, and valid Rabies certificate for each dog. Proof of parvo-distemper can be in the form of a detailed receipt of purchase of the vaccine with the date, or the labels from the vaccine bottle. There will be no pre-race vet checks for the adult race but note there will be for the junior race. If any adult musher would like to have any racing dog examined prior to the race please let me know at the musher’s meeting or before. I will provide a form for each junior team via this web site that should be filled out by the musher prior to the vet exam, with each dog’s name, sex, age and date of parvo-distemper vaccination. Hand this to the vet at the time of the exam along with the rabies certificate for each dog.
Please check back on this site before the race for any updates or additional information.
If you have questions concerning the veterinary aspect of the race please feel free to contact me via email @ cntwlvet@mtaonline.net or phone; 907-768-2228.
VETERINARIANS ON THE TRAIL
Dr. Sandi Farris:
I graduated from Colo State vet school in 95, and then spent a year in Southern Calif doing an internship in equine med and surgery. One year of S Cal is plenty, so I moved to Alaska! I worked at a mixed animal practice for 3 years until starting my own large animal and sled dog ambulatory service in 2000. My clinic keeps me traveling from Talkeetna to Girdwood regularly and flying to Kenai and Kodiak every 6 months to see clients. I continue to work a couple of days a week in small animal at Ravenwood Vet Clinic in Eagle River.
I started running dogs in Gunnison, Colorado in 1992 with a friend who gives commercial tours. When I moved to AK in 96 I began raising, training and racing sprint dogs. I preferred to race limited but did have a team in the Womens World Championships. We haven't raced in a few years due to time constraints and lack of snow...
I am married to Tyson Peterson who, along with his family, have raced sled dogs for more than 20 years. Tyson ran open sprint races, including Fur Rondezvous and the North American, and his dad ran Iditarod.
We live in Willow and have a 4 year old son who will start running one-dog this year if we ever get any snow!
Dr. Matt Wegner:
Dr. Wegner was born and raised in Clear Lake, IA. He graduated from Iowa
State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. He has been a
veterinarian for the U.S. Army ever since. He was previously assigned to Ft
Lewis and McChord Air Force Base in Washington and is currently the Post
Veterinarian for Ft Wainwright. Dr. Wegner's professional interests include
soft tissue surgery, neurology and working with the military working dogs.
Dr. Sarah Love:
Sarah Love is a veterinarian and a specialist in small animal internal medicine living in Fairbanks, Alaska. She received her veterinary degree and specialty training at the University of Minnesota and became interested in sled dog medicine while living there. Currently, Sarah is the program coordinator of and teaching in an undergraduate veterinary science program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, as well as veterinary work on the side. She has worked as a trail veterinarian on the Iditarod, John Beargrease sled dog marathon, UP 200, the Can-Am race and others throughout the upper Midwest. Besides sled dog medicine, her veterinary interests include hematology, infectious diseases and gastrointestinal diseases. Her non-veterinary interests include running dogs, endurance sports and wilderness travel.
ALL OF OUR VETS ARE BACK!
We are so fortunate to have all three excellent veterinarians from last year helping on the trail again this year! Matt Wegner, Sarah Love and Sandi Ferris have generously volunteered their time again to make sure all your veterinary needs on the trail are met. The Cantwell Classic is very proud to have such a team of professionals.
"This form needs to be filled out and will be collected at the drivers meeting"
2008
"AN APPROVED IDITAROD QUALIFIER"
