It Is All About Dogs from Doug Aichele, Associate Head
Did you know that sled dogs that compete in athletic events like the Idiatarod and the Yukon Quest races in Alaska undergo extensive training to improve their exercise capacity? This results in better performance and less risk of injury or illness due to exercise. However, due to the inherent athletic nature of a dog and the reserves that exist even in untrained dogs, it is difficult to tell whether a dog is sufficiently trained until competition begins and the dogs fatigues and either is injured or becomes ill.
It is possible to use routine veterinary diagnostic procedures prior to the competition to detect conditions that may make premature fatigue more likely. Such procedures are already in use at major competitions, by they can be improved by using mathematical analysis on the extremely large sets of data obtained from the competitions. One such project ``Predictive Serum Biomakers for Canine Endurance Exercise'' is being funded by AKC Canine Health Foundation. The goal of the project, directed by Michael Davis and Chris Royer (Department of Physiological Sciences, OSU) and I, is to study ``ultramarathon" sled dogs races in order to construct a prototype formula that would predict the ability of a dog to safely complete the race.
The most direct outcome anticipated form the study is a formula that will permit private practice veterinarians to provide accurate prognostic opinions regarding the suitability of a dog for multi-day endurance exercise. This tool is envisioned to improve the overall health and well-being of the specific breed mixes used in endurance racing.
Finally, because sled dogs are able to mantain such high levels of performance over such long periods of time, military agencies are interested in the implications of this research in combat settings.
Doug and Angel