Florey’s cat died [20]. Under certain circumstances, penicillin kills guinea pigs and Syrian hamsters [21, 22]. In addition, penicillin is teratogenic in rats, causing limb malformations in offspring. This is one of the problems with using animals to predict human response. (Greek)
The tests can be unreliable. Millions of dollars are wasted every year on conducting research on animals. “The US Government spends around $10 billion of taxpayers' money each year on animal-based research […].” (Fox) Not only that, but like said before, there are alternatives to animal testing. Some of these tests create better outcomes, like artificial human skin. Artificial human skin allows for scientists to research the effects of chemicals on skin, without submitting animals to pain. The skin is designed to match that of human’s skin, therefore it is also more reliable than testing on animals. (Neavs) “"Animal skin will vary from animal to animal, […]," Bhushan said. "But, synthetic skin's composition is consistent, making it a more reliable product," he continued.” (Johns Hopkins, 2014) Not only is it more reliable, but it is also more accurate. The pH results from artificial skin are closer to that of a human than animal testing.