Animal Testing: A Literature Review

Animal Testing
Carla Taboada
RWS 1302
03/29/2016

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

ABSTARCT
Everyone uses cosmetics or if not everyone has used medicine once in a while. Not
everyone is able to be conscious of what it takes for a new cosmetic or medicine like
vaccine to make them. Most of the cosmetics and medicine are first tested in animals. In
this paper I discuss how people think about animal testing, if they believe the medicine or
just a simple lipstick is worth the death and suffering of millions of innocent animals. This
paper will provide important information of how many animals suffer each time and what
people think about it.
Keywords: animal, suffering, abuse, medical treatment

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

INRODUCTION
Animal testing is a big controversy now on days. Many people are against as well as
there are some people who think it is something necessary for humans development and
safety. There are millions of animals that die and suffer each day because of animal testing.
The big issue is that many of those millions of animals just die because of a new lipstick
they are trying to develop. And in many other cases animals die because of the development
of a new vaccine. This paper will talk about the suffering of animals, what people think
about animal testing, what are the laws against animal testing, and testing of the animals for
both cosmetics and medicine development.
TESTING
Testing in animals is for both medicine which can be really helpful in many cases,
but as well animal testing is used for the simple manner of cosmetics. Scientists use the
animals because they need to develop new ways for vaccine and treatments. Scientists use
millions of different animals in order to be able to capture the side effects the animals might
cause and how the treatments might also not work and end up killing thousands of people
instead of the animals. Not only do scientists are testing the animals for the own good of
humans, but also for the own benefit of some of the animals.
Many of the new treatments are hard to develop and also are very complicated to
figure out the right treatment or cure to something. Scientist thinks they are in need of using

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

the living organisms of the animals to represent them in the same way as the humans have.
The use of the animals is because they have almost the same living organisms so it will be
much easier to test the treatments in an animal. Scientists are able to test in the animals
when a medical treatment is very harmful to be tested in humans since the beginning with
an animals life span a scientists is able to test many of them in their whole life span, when
in humans it will take more time compared to an animal. When scientists didnt used the
animals for testing there were many cases and incidents which provoked the death of many
people due to the lack of testing. In the article Why do companies test cosmetics or other
products on animals?, states In 1937, more that 100 people died after taking a new cough
syrup called Elixir Sulfanilamide because the medicine was dissolved in diethylene glycol,
which is toxic. The animals are easily manipulated in all way possible. So the scientists
have a much easier job to manipulate the diet of the animal, the temperature and the life
style as well. When in a human it is really complicated for a scientist to manipulate the
human constantly in the time.
After the medical treatment is tested first in the animals and the treatment was very
successful in the animals and worked properly that is when they ask for humans to
volunteer and take part in the new medical treatment they are testing. When scientists test
the treatment in humans as well it is because it is most likely to work, but if not that is why
the last testings are in humans to show the last of the results and as well as showing how
effective the treatment will be in all of the humans.
Some of the diseases that have been tested in animals for the medical treatments are
heart diseases, HIV/AIDS, and cancer, which are the principle diseases that cause the
deaths of millions of people. Heart disease was tested in animals to find the treatment too

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

many of the cases in heart disease. Scientists have used many different animals for the
development of medical treatments in heart diseases. Some of the animals that scientists
used were dogs, sheep, cats and rabbits. The principal animal that worked the best in the
study of heart disease was the dog. They tested the dogs in the electrocardiography which is
when they boost recording of the electrical waves in the brain. They also kept track of the
blood flow and needed many surgeries like the cardiac bypass. To test cancer scientists
needed to test many different animals from chickens with the spread of cancer and also
used monkeys, horses, rabbits, mice for the treatment in tumors and different treatments
like chemotherapy, the radiation and drugs. HIV/AIDS are tested in chickens fir the
vaccines the scientist can develop to help in that virus.
Animals are not only used for testing new medical treatments and everything based
in medicine. The animals are also used in the testing of cosmetics, for new brands for
example new lipsticks, mascaras, foundation and many more. Companies use the animals to
test the new products because of the many bad things which happened in the past when they
didnt test the cosmetics the right way. It is the same as with the medical test first they use
the animals to test the cosmetics and based in the results from the animals they later on try
the cosmetics with volunteer humans.
In the past they made a mascara which resulted in a total disaster. They never tested
the mascara the right way and when people used the mascara many of the people ended up
with burns in the skin and irritated the eyes and burned the eyes. A woman died because of
this mascara and the horrible consequences the mascara brought to the woman. The
mascara not only killed a woman, but let many others blind because of the bad and toxic
chemicals the mascara contained.

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

SUFFERING
Medical treatment and cosmetics are tested in animals. In many cases animals are
beneficial to the tests, but the suffering an animal goes trough might not be worth the new
lipstick you are about to buy. Millions of animals are each day suffering because of the
multiple tests scientists do in them. Many of the tests scientists are not worth the pain and
suffering an animal has to go through.
Many of the animals that are tested include mice, rats, dogs, cats, rabbits, chicken
and almost about all types of animals. The suffering an animal goes never ends, but gets
worst each time. Some of
the suffering animals need
to pass include irritation
in the eyes. In many of
the cases and most
commonly they use the
rabbits because of their
eyes; the rabbits have their eyes bigger and are more easily to be tested in them, but the
pain the rabbit goes trough is a lot. In many cases the rabbit eyes bleed because of the toxic
chemicals. In other cases they get blind and in other ones the irritation and redness is really
bad and a lot for the rabbit.
Figure 1: Shows how in laboratories they put their bodies and cannot move their bodies, and suffer because of
the immobilization of their bodies.

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

In other cases when they test in the animals, they suffer from headaches and get
easily scared when someone approaches to them because they dont know if they are about
to do something even worst to them. Some of the effects of an animal when they re testing
in them may include having their blood pressure really out of normal, another one might be
being and running in circles nonstop, and in many other cases of frustration these animals
bite themselves and also bite their own for and take their own fur out ending really bad with
their own skin.
When they are testing either a medical treatment, drug, or cosmetic the first material
scientists develop doesnt work so the pain and suffering of an animal is provoke in order to
be able to test in the first and see if the drug works in them. When they test a drug or new
treatment they are trying to develop for a special disease the animals need to have the
disease they want to develop the cure for. Not only the animals suffer from the toxic
chemicals from each treatment, but from the disease the scientists provoked in the animal.
Some of the procedures an animal might go when they are testing might be the electric
shocks, isolation, and much the lack of water and food the animals need to suffer. Not only
the animals suffer because of the drugs or toxic chemicals they use in them, but also they
use some awful procedures such as putting devices in the animal which doesnt let the
animal more in the experiments. Others use immobilization in some specific parts of their
body to use the drugs in those specific body parts.
In some of the experiments they use the animals and suffer the most are the
experiments which involve stress experiments. From the article Harms and Suffering
clearly talks about the experiment, These experiments included immobilizing mice and
rats in tubes, shocking their feet, suspending them by their tails, and forcing them to swim

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

to avoid drowning. Researchers claimed these experiments had relevance to human anxiety
and depression.
Several interviews took place to different people and were asked their
opinion of what they think about animal testing A 15 year old opinion was he believed the
animal testing was something bad and kind of cruel for the animals. Later a 20 year old
opinion was almost similar, but stated that if the research was for the benefit of many
people and in animals like the rats and mice which are really easy to reproduce were the
ones used in the experiment then it was better than with animals like horses which cannot
easily reproduce in the way as mice can do and even faster. A 35 year old was also
interviewed and agreed in animal testing for human benefits.
As people began to age their preoccupation towards the animals started to decrease.
Not too many people worried about animals when there are animals which can easily
reproduce and even more when the animal testing benefits humans.
LAWS
Not only there are many benefits in animal testing and also a lot of suffering.
Animal testing has many laws which benefit humans and also restricts the way scientists
can use animals for different testing. Many people have argued for many years about
animal testing. Many cases have made a huge impact therefore these are the laws that are
supposed to help the animals.
First we have the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The AWA protects the animals care in
many places. The only problem is that the AWA excludes about 95% of the animals most
commonly used in the animal testing. The most common animals to use for testing include

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

birds, rats, mice, and some fish. Not only does the AWA excludes about the 95% of the
animals most commonly used, but it also gives very little protection to the rest of the
animals which are included to be protected.
Second the Public Health Service (PHS) which supervises the (FDA) which is the
Food and Drug Administration and also the (CDC) Centers for Disease control and
Prevention. The (CDC) research in animals about the infectious diseases. The FDA is about
exploitation of the animals that are used in pharmaceutical investigations. The (OLAW) is
the Office of Laboratory Welfare helps whenever the laboratories or facilities are not doing
their job right or are committing fraud.
However (OLAW) only takes little
action in these cases it has no bigger
right or makes that big of an impact.
Third, the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This department covers about 12,000
departments or more, but this department only counts with very little people just 120
inspectors. The inspectors are in charge of the laboratories which deal with the exhibition of
animals, research and almost everything involving with the animals and their health. Other
of the laws in the article Animal Testing and the Law states, Other regulatory bodies
charged with protecting animals, such as the Association for Assessment and Accreditation
of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and mandatory Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committees (IACUC), are self-chosen, self-policing bodies with little or no punitive
power.

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

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Figure 2: This figure shows how many of the really known brands test in animals and are most commonly in
the brands that are commonly most used in the house and for the people.

There are these different departments which are supposed to help the animals and
protect them. In many of the laws they dont do anything for about 95% of the animals they
mostly use in the research of animal testing. No matter how hard people try to put laws
against the animal testing many people are still in favor of the animal testing.
ALTERNATIVES FOR ANIMAL TESTING
There are many people against animal testing therefore there are some alternatives
for scientists to use instead of the animals for their research in creating new cosmetics, new
medical treatments. This is when people most complain of scientists of how is it possible
for them to continue using the animals when there are other options for research and testing
than just the innocent animals. The article Alternatives In Testing states a quote, There is
no doubt that the best test species for humans are humans. It is not possible to extrapolate
animal data directly to humans due to interspecies variation in anatomy, physiology and
biochemistry.
Some of the alternatives for animal testing include the development of models.
Which are similar and even more they are almost the same as the human cell and tissue.
The next option is the development of computerized patient drug databases and virtual drug
trials. There are many of the computer models and simulations. Many other include the
stem cell and genetic testing methods. Other alternatives are also the MRIs and CT Scans.
All of the alternatives were designed with the purpose to stop animal testing because
there are many opinions which state is something not reliable as if they tested with the same

Animal Testing: A Literature Review

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humans. If they tested with the humans without really affecting the human body
completely. Although of the different alternatives there exist, still in many laboratories still
prefer to continue using animals for their researches and testing.
CONCLUSION
Animal testing started being used by scientists when the development of drugs or
cosmetics caused the death and in many other cases permanent damage in humans. Some
people argued animal testing is something cruel and should not exist and as well there are
many alternative choices scientists can use instead of animals. Although scientists argued
there are many benefits in animal testing and are better than many alternatives. However
because of how people fought for the rights of animals there are laws which help the
animals and take care of them.

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REFERENCES
1. Animal Legal Defense Fund.(2013). Animal Testing and the Law. Retrieved from
http://aldf.org/resources/when-you-witness-animal-cruelty/animal-testingand-the-law/

2. Neavs since 1895. (2008). Alternatives In Testing. Retrieved from

http://www.neavs.org/alternatives/in-testing

3. American Physiological Society. Why do scientists use animals in research?.

Retrieved from
http://www.theaps.org/mm/sciencepolicy/animalresearch/publications/animals/quest
1.html

4. Animal Research Finding Cures Saving Lives. (2013). Why do companies test
cosmetics or other
products on animals? Retrieved from
http://www.animalresearchcures.org/testing.htm

5. Peta. Animal Testing 101. Retrieved from

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animal-testing101/

6. Neavs since 1895. Harm and Suffering. Retrieved from

http://www.neavs.org/research/harm-suffering

7. Beagle Freedom Project. (February 2016). Cruelty Free. Beagled Freeom. Retrieved
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8. Dr. Max Pemberton. (10/24/2015). DailyMail. Retrieved from

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