The well-being of the animal is the primary concern of everyone involved, for without the dogs, there would be no race. Before the race even begins, all dogs must undergo a complete examination by race veterinarians. If for any reason, a vet believes a dog to be unfit to race, that dog is immediately pulled from competition. When on the trail, the well-being of the dogs falls solely on the musher. He or she must carefully monitor the dogs at all times for signs of sickness or injury.
All mushers take certain precautions to help maintain their dogs' health.
To protect the dogs' feet from trail hazards, mushers use special dog booties. These sock-like booties keep feet from being cut by ice, rocks and other hazards and, in turn, keep each dog running at full potential. Iditarod rules require mushers to use dog booties in certain conditions and each musher must carry at least 128 of them with them on the trail. Mushers also use liniment to keep foot pads from cracking in the intense cold. At checkpoints along the Iditarod Trail, race veterinarians work to monitor the health of each team.