What kind of animals are experimented on?

Animal experimentation involves more than 27 different species

including: macaque monkeys, squirrel monkeys, rats, mice, dogs,

hamsters, guinea pigs, and cats

Domestic Ferrets are used in many broad areas of research and

have been since the early 1900's to study the pathogenesis and

treatment in a variety of human disease as animal models in

biomedical research, including studies of cardiovascular disease,

nutrition, respiratory diseases (such as SARS and human influenza),

airway physiology, cystic fibrosis and gastrointestinal disease

(such as peptic ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori). Ferrets

share many anatomical, metabolic and physiologic features with

humans which has promoted their use as an animal model.

Additionally, lab tests are commonly performed on mice. In fact,

breeders can create special varieties of mice called "knockout

mice." The term knockout refers to the fact that these mice are

genetically modified so that particular gene expressions are

repressed, or turned-off. There are many varieties of knockout mice

available depending on what is being investigated. These mice are

very useful in the biomedical field. By using knockout mice,

researchers are able to learn about the specific effects of certain

genes. Drug therapies can also be tested on these mice.

Advice from other contributors:

* Mostly small animals are used in animal testing rats and mice

are popular but also cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and more.

* Rats, mice, rabbits, monkeys, stray dogs and cats.

* Quite a few animals get tested on but guinea pigs are the most

common animals get tested on

* All types of animals: Cats, Dogs, Hamsters, Rats, Mice,

Gerbils, Monkeys, gorillas, wild animals

* Dogs, like beagles; cats, rabbits, rats, mice, a variety of

monkeys; guinea pigs, gerbils, fish, frogs, baboons, chimpanzees

and fruit flies

For further information click on the links below, under 'Related

links.' Caution, some images may disturb.

Dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, cows, goats, monkeys, frogs, lizzards,

sheep and many more.