I agree with Ellie May and others....there is no way around testing the safety of new products: either the dogs in the lab are the test subjects, or our pets are.
For a new food, the manufacturer must test it on dogs. The choice has to be made:
1) dogs in a lab
2) dogs at breeders' homes/facilities
3) put the product on the shelf and let our pets' health determine if it is safe
Developing heartworm preventatives and other medications make the reality even harder to bear, because as Ellie May pointed out, the test dogs must be given heartworms. The alternative is for a manufacturer to sell the preventative to the general public and hope it works and doesn't have any side effects.
It hurts to think about. But this is reality.
__________________ Kristin, Max and Teddy  |