Bioscience Briefing
For info about biomedical funding, animal research and other bioscience issues, click here.
Legislation Watch
So-called "Pet Safety Bills" don't protect pets but they do pose a threat to medical research. More information
Science Policy Announcements
For the latest news from the APS Science Policy click here.
Resource Book Now Available
Click here for more info on The APS Resource Book for the Design of Animal Exercise Protocols.
Importance of Random Source Animals to Pet Health
Non-purpose bred dogs and cats play an important role in veterinary research because they represent all breeds, crosses, and ages. In contrast, breeders supply dogs and cats that are young and represent a narrow genetic pool. Purpose-bred dogs and cats are suitable for certain animal health studies, but not for research into diseases that occur as animals age or where genetic diversity is a factor.
The American Veterinary Medical Association believes that “there is ample justification for prudent and humane use of random-source dogs and cats in research” because “the carefully controlled use of random-source dogs and cats contributes greatly to improving the health and welfare of both animals and human beings.”
- Diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease that affect aging dogs and cats can best be studied in aging animals.
- Medications that will be given to older animals should be tested in older animals to ensure their safety.
- Medications to treat certain parasites need to be tested in animals that have acquired the parasite from their environment, rather than only in animals that were artificially infected.
Case Study: Deramaxx
Deramaxx was developed to treat arthritis in older dogs, but it was only tested on young animals. Since its release on the market, the FDA has documented thousands of cases of death or serious illness to people's pets. These risks might have been averted if the medication was tested in a population similar to the pets it was intended to treat.
Banning non-purpose animals in research would make it difficult or impossible to obtain older and genetically diverse dogs and cats needed for proper safety tests on veterinary medications.