Santa’s Reindeer Have a Vet. Who Knew?

The American Veterinary Medical Association has put up a video of Santa’s reindeer getting a pre-flight checkup from their vet.

The vet, Dr. Rene Carlson, is president of the World Veterinary Association and former president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. She took a trip to the North Pole recently to make sure that all nine of Santa’s flying reindeer were fit for the Big Night.

See it on YouTube here.

According to the good Doc, it’s important that reindeer are checked about a month before Christmas Eve to make sure they’re not showing any signs of disease. It seems that even magic reindeer are vulnerable to maladies such as brucellosis, tuberculosis or chronic wasting disease, Dr. Carlson said. These ailments are not only dangerous for the reindeer; they can be transferred to other animals as well.

Luckily, there were no signs of any such maladies this year, and Santa’s reindeer were judged to be healthy and strong.

Just to be sure, Dr. Carlson said she will make a follow-up visit on Christmas Eve. However, things are looking good for the Christmas Eve flight.