North Pole Veterinarian Says Santa's Reindeer Are Ready to Fly

Santa shouldn't have any issues making it here to Colorado, because his reindeer have received a clean bill of health.

According to a press release from the American Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. José Arce, the official veterinarian of the North Pole, visited recently to make sure Santa's reindeer are ready for their big trip.

Reindeer and Sleighs

As many are aware, each year on Christmas Eve, Santa's reindeer prepare themselves for a long journey to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls around the world.

Of course, in order to make this trip, the reindeer have to be in tip-top shape and health.

Reindeer's Annual Pre-Flight Exam

Dr. Arce schedules an annual exam that includes a health check about a month prior to their Christmas Eve flight. Dr. Arce checks that the team of 9 is healthy and not showing any signs of disease such as, "brucellosis, tuberculosis or chronic wasting disease—that can affect their ability to fly or make other animals sick."

"It's important that we make sure the reindeer aren't harboring any diseases that they could then potentially spread to animals in other parts of the world," said Dr. Arce. "At the same time, making sure they're healthy also means that they're less likely to catch any diseases themselves on that long flight around the globe."

Journey From the North Pole

Dr. Arce will also do a check on Christmas Eve to provide a final pre-flight checkup and to inspect the reindeer upon their return on Christmas morning.

While unavailable for comment due to his busy work schedule, Santa issued a statement, saying, "Without my reindeer there simply would be no Christmas. Proper veterinary care ensures that year in and year out, my team and I can safely deliver presents to boys and girls around the world. Dr. Arce has definitely earned his place on my 'nice list' this year.

"Ho ho ho," Santa added.