Pros And Cons Of Animal Testing
Experimentation on animals was meant to provide innovative advancements to the development of drugs and safety of products. However, the use of animals in laboratory tests no longer fulfills its original purpose. While it is difficult to deny the medical advances that have been made possible due to animal testing, there are alternatives that are more cost-effective, reliable, and do not contribute toward the suffering of animals. Methods such as microdosing, in-vitro models, and in-silica computer models are a few of the alternatives that fit these criteria as opposed to traditional animal testing. By using alternative methods to animal testing,
What is animal testing and why is it used? Animal testing is the use of animals to conduct experiments, …show more content…
Albino rabbits bred for the lab are the most common recipients of the Draize test due to their sensitivity to many irritants. The eyelids of animals are kept open by clips for better observation while the rabbit is restrained, providing an unpleasant experience to say the least. Once the administration of the substance is complete, the animal is often killed, in order to view its internal effects (Luechtfield, et …show more content…
These tests determine the recommended dosage for a prescription medication, the ability it treats a condition or symptoms, and what side effects the drug may cause. Animals are forced to experience the drug’s side-effects, often without medical intervention. While this may seem like useful information, the data from the animal based tests are more often disposed of due to the differences in metabolism in animals (Cheluvappa, et al.).
The United States Animal Welfare Act was enacted in 1966 to provide the minimum requirements of care to protect animals in commercial sale, transportation, public exhibition and research. However, this federal law explicitly excludes the vast majority of animals that are experimented on in laboratories; therefore, they are unprotected by law (United States Department of Agriculture). Approximately 95% of animal tests are performed on mice, rats and birds, all of which are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act. These experiments can be excruciatingly painful for the animals that are no more than lab results on a
What is animal testing and why is it used? Animal testing is the use of animals to conduct experiments, …show more content…
Albino rabbits bred for the lab are the most common recipients of the Draize test due to their sensitivity to many irritants. The eyelids of animals are kept open by clips for better observation while the rabbit is restrained, providing an unpleasant experience to say the least. Once the administration of the substance is complete, the animal is often killed, in order to view its internal effects (Luechtfield, et …show more content…
These tests determine the recommended dosage for a prescription medication, the ability it treats a condition or symptoms, and what side effects the drug may cause. Animals are forced to experience the drug’s side-effects, often without medical intervention. While this may seem like useful information, the data from the animal based tests are more often disposed of due to the differences in metabolism in animals (Cheluvappa, et al.).
The United States Animal Welfare Act was enacted in 1966 to provide the minimum requirements of care to protect animals in commercial sale, transportation, public exhibition and research. However, this federal law explicitly excludes the vast majority of animals that are experimented on in laboratories; therefore, they are unprotected by law (United States Department of Agriculture). Approximately 95% of animal tests are performed on mice, rats and birds, all of which are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act. These experiments can be excruciatingly painful for the animals that are no more than lab results on a