Iditarod veteran Aliy Zirkle has had to upend her race plans and declare a 24-hour rest in Galena because of sick dogs.
After pulling off the Yukon River, Zirkle had several vets checking out her team. She said the leaders started looking ill Tuesday afternoon.
“My dogs aren’t extremely healthy right now; they all have this bug, and a few of ‘em have a fever,” Zirkle said.
Zirkle was feeding the dogs medicine to help with diarrhea, and vets were monitoring temperatures up to 105 degree. Normally, dogs have a resting temperature of 102.5 degrees.
Zirkle doesn’t think the problems came from something they ate, but a lot of the team ran the Yukon Quest a few weeks ago.
“Some of these dogs were sick on the Quest,” Zirkle said. “I don’t know if it’s a bug that never went away. I dunno know, really, elementary schools get bugs and dog races get bugs.”
The illness throws a wrench in Zirkle’s plan to push to Huslia to take her 24-hour rest.
It was a move she budgeted for when she opted to rest for a few hours in Ruby, in preparation for a big push.
But she’s hoping the layover in Galena gets her team, and her, back in shape for the hundreds of miles ahead.
“I’ll be doing alright if my team’s doing alright,” Zirkle said. “I’ll be a little mopey if my team’s mopey.”
Zirkle will be cleared to leave her 24-hour break Friday afternoon after 1 p.m.
Two-time champion Mitch Seavey begins his Iditarod run at the Fairbanks re-start on Monday. (Photo by Ben Matheson/KNOM)
A team travels on the Iditarod trail to Manley Hot Springs. (Photo by Ben Matheson/KNOM)
A team travels on the Iditarod trail to Tanana. (Photo by Ben Matheson/KNOM)
Nicolas Petit’s Iditarod team begins its 2017 race in Fairbanks. (Photo by Ben Matheson/KNOM)
Martin Buser is chasing his fifth Iditarod title in 2017. (Photo by Ben Matheson/KNOM)
The Manley Checkpoint (Photo by Ben Matheson/ KNOM)
Annie Kelley is the Teacher on the Trail for the 2017 Iditarod (Photo by Wesley Early/Alaska Public Media)
Teams began the journey to Nome from the re-start at Willow Lake in Iditarod 44 . (Photo by Ben Matheson/Alaska Public Media)
Wade Marrs was the first musher to reach the Ruby checkpoint of the Iditarod, coming off the Yukon River into town at sunset. (Photo by Zachariah Hughes/Alaska Public Media)
Dallas Seavey’s high-tech new sled includes a mounted, rectangular cook stove, which he says has more surface area to heat water in a shorter amount of time. (Photo by Zachariah Hughes/Alaska Public Media)
Ruby is located on the south bank of the Yukon River. (Photo by Zachariah Hughes/Alaska Public Media)
Ruby, on the south bank of the Yukon River, seen before mushers started arriving Wednesday during the Iditarod. (Photo by Zachariah Hughes/Alaska Public Media)
Dallas Seavey arrives second to Ruby just after the sun set Wednesday night during the Iditarod. (Photo by Zachariah Hughes/Alaska Public Media)
Teams rest in the cold at Manley Hot Springs, Tues. March 7th, 2017. (Photo by Zachariah Hughes)
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