A survey on orthopedic injuries during a marathon sled dog race

Dirsko JF von Pfeil,1,2 William D Liska,3 Stuart Nelson, Jr,4 Sabine Mann,5 Joseph J Wakshlag61Friendship Surgical Services of the Friendship Hospital for Animals, Washington, DC, 2Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 3Global Veterinary Specialists, Sugar Land, TX, 4The Iditarod Headquarters, Wasilla, AK, 5Department of Population Medicine, 6Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USAPurpose: This prospective observational study aimed to describe and quantify orthopedic injuries (OI) during a marathon sled dog race that led to discontinuation of racing (dropped dogs [DDs]) and to suggest potential associations with risk factors during the event.Study design: Prospective observational study.Animals: A total of 989 Nordic breed endurance sled dogs that participated in the 2011 Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Data were collected via an extensive questionnaire, medical records, and speed calculations based on Global Positioning System equipment on each dog sled. OI risk factors and DD incidence were statistically analyzed on dogs and teams completing at least half the race distance, including Student’s t-test, Pearson’s chi-squared test, Poisson regression, and various frailty analysis models as indicated. Significance was set at P