Animal Testing On Animals

For the past several years testing on animals has become the subject of intense scrutiny. However this form of research has been going on for centuries. Records of animal testing have been tracked back to as early as 384 BC. With well-known scientists such as Aristotle, Erasistratus, and Galen all using this form of testing in their experiments (Rachel Hajar). Animal testing has also led to many medical advancements such as the development of penicillin and finding the first effective treatment for tuberculosis. However, in the past 40 years the public has been questioning how humane animal testing is and whether or not we should continue it. This has sparked several animal rights groups to form such as PETA, with the goal to terminate animal …show more content…
There are many companies that have the ability to create models that can stimulate diseases and help scientists find cures for illnesses without the use of animals. They do this by programing existing information and data into the models creating almost real life test subjects. Not only will this help reduce the number of animals used it will also help medical and pharmacology students learn better than they would by doing experiments on animals. According to a recent study done, “Four different animal experiments were selected that dealt with actions of autonomic drugs. The students observed demonstrations of animal experiments involving conventional methods and the use of CSMs. This was followed by hands-on experience of the same experiment, but using CSMs in small groups, instead of hands-on experience with the animal procedures. Test scores and feedback showed that there was better understanding of the mechanisms of action of the drugs, gained in a shorter time. The majority of the students found the teaching programme used to be excellent” (National Library of …show more content…
Several big name companies such as Old Spice, Covergirl, Coppertone, Head & Shoulders, etc. all test on animals. Reportedly 100,000-200,000 suffer each year just for cosmetics benefits (Human Society International). Can you imagine living your whole life in a cage while having a countless number of procedures performed on you? These experiments can include skin irritations where the animals are shaved and potentially harmful chemicals are rubbed onto their skin. These chemicals can be left on the animal’s skin for days even if it starts to have an allergic reaction. Eye irritation experiments are another common practice. This is where chemicals are dripped into the eyes of animals to see which products give a bad reaction or make them go blind. Sometimes during the eye irritation experiments, the animal’s eyes will be held open by clips and the animal is unable to blink for hours straight. Some other forms of experiments that a preformed on animals can include making rats inhale toxic fumes, force-feeding dogs pesticides, and some animals are even forced to have induced seizures. Many of these animals have to endure these horrible, painful procedures only to be thrown back in their cages afterwards. Usually pain relievers are not provided for these animals and once the companies cannot test on them anymore, they are killed