Animal Testing Pros

The major pro for animal testing is that it aids researchers in finding drugs and treatments to improve health and medicine. Many medical treatments have been made possible by animal testing, including cancer and HIV drugs, insulin, antibiotics, vaccines and many more. It is for this reason that animal testing is considered vital for improving human health and it is also why the scientific community and many members of the public support its use. In fact, there are also individuals who are against animal testing for cosmetics but still support animal testing for medicine and the development of new drugs for disease.
Another important aspect to note is that animal testing helps to ensure the safety of drugs and many other substances humans use or are exposed to regularly. Drugs in particular can carry significant dangers with their use but animal testing allows researchers to initially gauge the safety of drugs prior to commencing trials on humans. This means that human harm is reduced and human lives are saved - not simply from avoidance of the dangers of drugs but because the drugs themselves save lives as well as improve the quality of human life.
Scientists typically use animals for testing purposes because they are considered similar to humans. As such, researchers do recognise the limitations and differences but the testing is done on animals because they are thought to be the closest match and best one with regards to applying this data to humans

Proponents of animal testing assert that the cost of the animal lives expended in research is worth the human and animal lives ultimately saved by animal research. For example, treatments for cancer and HIV, antibiotics, insulin for diabetics, and vaccines have all been developed through animal research. Without animal testing, the development of these products would have required extensive human testing.

When every member in our family is hale and hearty, it is very difficult to understand as to why the innocent animals are used for testing purposes that usually ends up killing them. But it usually starts to make more sense when someone in the family or you yourself starts suffering from a life threatening disease. It is a very symbiotic relationship that is also a very integral part of medical research. Testing on animals has helped develop vaccines for many life threatening diseases like Herpes Simplex, Hepatitis B, Polio, rabies, malaria, mumps and virus related to organ transplantation rejection. In addition to this, animal testing has also helped in the refinement of procedures related to measuring the blood pressure, pacemaker technology and the perfection of the heart and lung diseases. You will be surprised to read that anesthesia which is used to numb the body during surgery and acute pain is available today after it was successfully tested on animals first.

Human beings are not the only living creatures that have benefited from animal testing. Heart worm medication was devised from research on animals and has to day helped in saving the lives of many dogs. Animal research has also provided better understanding of cat nutrition and the reasons behind as to why cats live longer and remain healthier are better understood.

Finding a cure and a vaccine for AIDS has become one of the most important goals of the medical research industry. The animal models for AIDS are a very important part of the research as they help in understanding the biology of immune-deficiency viruses.

The fact of the matter is that to make advances in the field of medicines, animal testing is a must. Restraining or banning the testing by animal activists will not help in any way. It is up to us and all individuals belonging to animal organizations and medical research to ensure that the same is carried out in a safe, ethical manner causing as little pain and discomfort possible to the animal. If animal testing was to be outlawed then there would be very little scope of obtaining information that would be very necessary to eliminate suffering and premature deaths in both humans and animals.

Animal testing is the use of animals in scientific experiments. Most animal testing is done by universities, pharmaceutical companies, and medical schools. Most animals used for research are breed for the specific purpose of testing and few animals used for testing are captured from the wild. Some animal testing is done for basic research such as behavior studies and genetics while other animal testing is done for the benefit of humans. This research includes drug testing, surgical procedures, medical equipment, and somewhat inconsequential applications like; cosmetics, and other household products. Most animals that are used for researched are euthanized once the experiment is finished.
Opinions about the ethics of animal testing have shifted greatly through the end of the 20th century and into the 21st century. Some question the accuracy of animal testing and if animal testing can be done humanely. Others argue that animal testing is an invaluable tool for research and that countless lifesaving medical breakthroughs are the result of animal testing.
Many who are against animal testing claim that the treatment of the animals is inhumane. Many groups argue that animals have the same right to life as human beings and that it is not worth euthanizing animals for the benefit of mankind. Many also argue that using animals to test the effects of cosmetics and household products is not an important enough reason to sacrifice an animal.
Animal testing is also incredibly expensive. The cost of housing, storing, and caring for animals is very high. Animals used for testing are usually obtained from specific breeding facilities and come with a hefty price tag.
Because animals used for testing and research are in a lab and not their natural habitat they are under a great deal of stress which can thus affect the accuracy of tests. Many drugs being tested on animals react differently when a body is under stress.
Those who argue for animal testing point out all the amazing breakthroughs that have already come from animal testing research such as organ transplant and open-heart surgery techniques; life saving drugs; effective insulin and cancer treatments; and vaccines for deadly diseases like polio, rabies, rubella, and tuberculosis. Animal testing also benefits the lives of animals such as the heartworm medicine that has saved many dogs lives.
Many regulations and laws are put into place to insure that animals are treated as humanly as possible. Animal abuse is rare in animal testing facilities. Researchers are looking for the best possible solutions to medical problems.
Animal testing is the most accurate way to learn the effects of substances in a living body. Using cell cultures can only reveal side effects on a molecular level and cannot unfortunately, reveal side effects like organ failure, rashes, tumors, or cardiac arrest like animal testing can. Using computer models cannot always predict unknown variables that can be discovered with animal testing. Animals may not have the exact same philology as humans but animal testing is accurate enough to test whether a substance is even safe enough for human trials.
Not all animal testing is harmful to the animal. Animal food companies use test animals to see if a little of this or that oil in the diet makes for a healthier coat, etc. Most people are against animal testing (just watch how many thumbs down I get) because it kills sweet little animals. Birds (mainly poultry), mice, and rats make up 95% of research animals. These are the same creatures that we set out poison for so they do not get into our basements and attics. How much chicken do we consume? Would these same people stop taking their insulin, valium, diet pills, anti-depression meds, and that little blue pill to keep rats from dying? Why are these animals used for testing? Because they reproduce rapidly, thus speeding along the research. They do not have expensive food and upkeep requirements like large animals and primates.
Animal testing has helped to develop vaccines against diseases like rabies, polio, measles, mumps, rubella and TB. Antibiotics, HIV drugs, insulin and cancer treatments rely on animal tests. Other testing methods are advanced enough. Scientists claim there are no differences in lab animals and humans that cannot be factored into tests. Operations on animals helped to develop organ transplant and open heart surgery. Human life has greater intrinsic value than animal life. Legislation protects all lab animals from cruelty or mistreatment. Millions of animals are killed for food every year – if anything, medical research is a more worthy death. Few animals feel any pain as they are killed before they have the chance to suffer.
Cures and teatments have been developed that save human lives. Treatments for diabetes, cancer, etc. would not be available if it were not for animal testing.
Many things that have been discovered through animal testing also benefit other animals, not just humans.
Much animal testing doesn't hurt the animal... for example in behavior experiments, often all that happens is the animal gets a treat in exchange for doing some easy behavior like pressing a lever.
In some cases animals are placed in homes or sanctuaries after the experiments.
There are institutional review boards that oversee testing to ensure that the animals are treated as well as possible.