This year again, our ELEMENT .vet lab is a partner of the Lekkarod veterinary team led by Delphine Cléro. The veterinary team will pamper the tired or injured organisms of our 4-legged athletes throughout the race, from March 14 to 19, 2018, and 9 days of competition is a long time!
Here is an interview with Delphine, responsible for the Lekkarod veterinary team since the beginning. Absent in 2017, she returns this year with a reinforced team to pamper canine athletes for, as she says: " to have the pleasure of seeing dogs in good shape and happy! "
Walk, Massage with ELEMENT.vet gel!
"Who wants to go far, protects his horse". To have a successful team, we must manage and care for our snow marathoners, know how to preserve some of them to better let them run the next day. Because the Lekkarod is 9 days of racing across the Alps, which means that organizations are called upon.Dominique Grandjean, veterinarian on the biggest dog sled races, founder of the Alpirod in his time, is the pillar of the Lekkarod . Professor at the National Veterinary School of Alfort (ENVA), with practical experience acquired over twenty years of field veterinary medicine in the field of sled dogs, Dominique created in 1996, the Medical Unit of Breeding and Sport, within the ENVA.
Delphine Cléro, also a lecturer, led a veterinary team at the forefront of performance for this edition. Each dog has been meticulously examined, day after day, the veterinary team being omnipresent and at the service of the mushers. In addition to their role as carers, the veterinarians were also able to teach the mushers the essential gestures and care for the recovery and muscle relaxation of our dogs. 
You have to " walk and massage " after a stage, Delphine reminds us! Walk for active recovery, and massage, massage, massage to relieve muscle tightness. ELEMENT.vet partner of the veterinary team provided the massage gels used several times a day on each dog. The gel is formulated with plant extracts (Arnica, Calendula, Aloes) and essential oils (Eucalyptus, Lavandin, Cinnamon, Wintergreen). Thanks to its texture, the gel penetrates without leaving either the hair of the dog greasy or the hands of the trainer. " Walking " with good pads, our repair balm has been well used to prevent or heal cracked pads. Digestion supplements helped and protected the digestive function by rebalancing the flora with its probiotic. Protect to avoid diarrhea and detoxify the body. Finally, the rehydration complex aimed at rehydrating the sporting or working dog after exercise, restoring the water-electrolyte balance, compensating for the loss of electrolytes in the event of heavy sweating. Preservation of the dog's muscular potential during exercise thanks to vitamin E and selenium.
We are delighted to have participated in the success of this extraordinary event and are already looking forward to the 2019 edition.
Thank you to the whole team for your trust, and welcome back!
(Dr Bérengère Poletti specialized in Physiology, and Dr Emmanuelle Cottin Graduated in aromatherapy and passionate about sports dog medicine).
