Thomas Waerner’s team was looking skinny in Unalakleet.
He says the problem first cropped up in Huslia, where he was feeding his dogs hearty meals but couldn’t get their weight up. “Meat and kibble,” the Norwegian musher says, just like he feeds the dogs back home. But it’s not the same meat and kibble in Alaska. He couldn’t transport his own dog food for the team and the food he’s been using is causing the dogs indigestion. “It’s hard to run the car without gas,” Waerner said.
Norwegian musher Robert Sorlie, standing by, said the same thing happened to him last year—speculating that the American dog food just doesn’t have enough fat in it.
When asked if he could still achieve Rookie of the Year, Waerner’s reply was simple. “My goal is to get to the finish line…Get some weight on the dogs and get to the finish line.”
