When Charlie loses his appetite and is not even tempted by bacon, a worried Mama takes the faithful basset hound to the veterinarian, where his nerves are soothed by a friendly puppy.

"An intimate account--the first from a trail veterinarian--of the canines who brave the challenges of the Iditarod. Few events attract as much attention, or create as much spectacle, as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Each March, despite subzero temperatures and white-out winds, hundreds of dogs and mushers journey to Anchorage, Alaska, to participate in "The Last Great Race on Earth," a grueling, thousand-mile race across the Alaskan wilderness....