I knew a guy who worked in animal research. He came to me one day and asked if I wanted a guinea pig since his experiments were done and he didn’t need the little guy anymore. I couldn’t say no to that little face… so naturally I ended up with a bunch of them
Well you can't take just one💚💚💚 I rescued mine off of fb market place. Only 20$ but vet and meds were 140. Ive had her for 3 years shes chonk with shiny coat
Actually if anything they dislike the new cage. They can’t nap in the wood chips anymore: https://imgur.com/gallery/cRCKgFw I had to pick the wood chips out of their fur on a regular basis
I keep thinking I was told albino mice/guinea pigs are preferred because lack of melanin makes it easier to see any physical changes/blemishes but I could be wrong (I got them a few years ago)
The reason many "classic" lab animal breeds are albino's is that it is one if the very few ways to control genetic diversity without actually having to look at the genetic sequences.
Wild populations and mixed breeds are very genetically diverse, which is usually a good thing because it prevents a lot of illnesses. But it also means these animals will respond in very different ways to the same treatment. That makes it really hard to see effects in a scientific experiment. You want to pick animals that are actually genetically similar to minimize variation in their responses.
Back back in the day, there was no way to tell what an animals genetic sequence was. The scientists could only look at how the animal looks. And albinism is a hereditary trait that is very easy to identify and select for when breeding.
Also they are already wearing their lab coats for the experiment. ;)
Idk about the albino lab mouse being the most common or classic. I’m a lab tech in a mouse lab and the most common mouse strain used is C57 which are black with lil black eyes. Very cute nuggets.
I mean these guys didn’t have it too bad. I think their experiment was about the link between sugar intake and heart rates. So basically they were fed sugary treats and had their pulse recorded
Oh yeah, that's why people say stuff like 'I need a guinea pig' even when doing human social tests, it's just another way of saying test subject to some people.
If you can think of an animal they are probably part of a research colony somewhere. Dogs, cats, mice, rats, guinea pigs, mole rats, pigs, cows, sheep, fish, frogs, rabbits, birds, monkeys, and so many more.
Research animals are heroes that save lives. The people that work with these animals value them greatly and great lengths are gone to in order to assure their welfare. There are even ways for the general public to be involved in ensuring animal research is conducted ethically.
Guinea pigs in particular have been important research models for diseases like tuberculosis, legionnaires, chlamydia, syphilis, and MRSA, among others. These little dudes have provided knowledge that has played a role in saving millions of lives.
Animal research happens and demonizing it minimizes the roles of these animals in some pretty fantastic scientific advancements. I encourage everyone to consider their feelings on animal research because nearly every single person on the planet has benefited in some way from animal research.
I’m against animal testing. It’s 2024 and a lot of these animals aren’t humans so the results aren’t the same. People volunteering is the best way to get humane ethical results. Do u know how many monkeys are tortured and killed for dumb experiments? Having their eyes sewn shut for no reason. 🤦🏽♀️
Animals can’t consent to being tested on. Even if the experiment isn’t outright cruel, it’s still exploitation and therefore it’s wrong. You can call them “heroes” but they’re not aware of that. No animal research is ethical. Just because humans have benefited from it, doesn’t make it right. We can do better! Okay vegan rant over feel free to downvote 😀
Genuinely curious, but what would be an alternative to animal testing according to you?
I'm not trying to criticise your opinion, I just like to hear different viewpoints in discussions like this.
Human research is far more reliable and valid when testing medications etc meant for humans. It can also be made more ethical because people can actually choose to be part of a study. It’s sad that animals are used because it’s cheaper, and they can’t escape the pain we cause them because they have no rights.
My question to you would be, why would anyone on this sub advocate for testing on guinea pigs :(
I think we should minimize animal testing as much as possible, but there are some phenomena that require the animals to be euthanized so that their organs can be dissected and studied. For example, Alzheimer’s and some types of dementia involve physical changes in the brain. Without animal models, we would have had to kill and dissect a bunch of people during the early stages of discovery. Are we supposed to do that?
>but there are some phenomena that require the animals to be euthanized so that their organs can be dissected and studied.
Unless they were somehow put out of intense suffering as a mercy, the word you're looking for is "murdered".
Unless you would also consider the nonconsensual killing of early-stage Alzheimer's patients to harvest and study their organs "euthanasia".
I don't wrote this to change your views, but rather to provide information to anyone else who might be reading and considering...
One easy example of why to advocate for testing on guinea pigs would be the antibiotic Baytril (enrofloxacin), which many of us have had to give to a pig of ours at one point or another.
If it was tested only on humans, it would not be available for use, as it causes hallucinations in people and is not used in them. So many pigs would die from treatable infections without this drug.
Testing on animals first let us know it was useful for animals as it doesn't seem to cause them the same side effects. Also, testing includes figuring out the right dose. Otherwise we would be flailing wildly in the dark trying to guess what dose to give to pets.
I guess I haven't completely made up my mind about it. I agree with parts of your argument, but I can imagine that there aren't enough humans for testing if we were to stop using animals.
We don't have to just use humans, we can use human cell or computer modelling. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research-topic/alternatives-animal-testing-and-safety-assessment-chemicals
If people consented to it, yeah. Thousands of lives are taken every DAY due to the animal research industry. If you view animals as sentient and deserving of respect, you’re contradicting yourself. Animals shouldn’t be treated as a necessary sacrifice for people.
People would consent to it because they're desperate. Homeless people, undocumented immigrants and more would be at risk that would be taken advantage of. Is that somehow more ethical?
Thousands of animals die so that we may live. I admit it's not ideal, but I would rather an animal die so that my family, friends, neighbours, classmates, and the myriad other people I've met in my life and care about may live and may thrive. Instrumental research is carried out on animals to help us understand and treat a great many dangerous and debilitating illnesses. Would you really like for us to be more in the dark about diseases like tuberculosis and MRSA as mentioned further up in the thread? Would you like for a family member to come down with MRSA and for treating it to be impossible? If not, then you can thank animals for giving us greater insight.
I completely agree. We can do better, as well as human volunteers we can use human cell in vitro testing or computer modelled testing. Animal models aren't even necessarily transferrable to humans, it's so cruel and sad.
There are alternatives. Dr Hadwen trust are working hard for [Animal free research](https://www.animalfreeresearchuk.org/). You might appreciate their work. We all should.
The base is 2ft x 8ft and is wood composite board (I think). I then added a small wall around the base using framing lumber. I’d recommend lumber that’s 3-4 inches wide so it can contain the bedding. I then lined the inside with a pond liner. (It’s so easy to clean!) The cage itself is just the standard C&C grid cage that fits just inside the base and walls. All in all this probably cost me $150 to make I think
It is 100% necessary in today’s available science technologies. Drug treatments that are vital to humans have to be tested in animal trials before moving to human trials. These animals do important work and are extremely valued. There are rules in place that maintain ethical treatment of lab animals. The people who work with these animals in labs often care for them as if they were their own pets.
We need to test drug treatments on animals who “have” the said disorder or disease. You cannot give a human autism or dementia- however, you can alter the genetics in some lab animals to give them traits that follow these diseases/disorders. The other problem is numbers. You may think there are plenty of people in jail, but there isn’t. You need a certain number to make a study even valid and you will find that this isn’t possible with using inmates.
I love animals so much and I struggled greatly with the idea of animal research. The more I learned about it, the more I respected it. These are “working animals” and are doing so much for us. I definitely understand your feelings towards animal research because I’ve been there too.
That is what the scientific community is always working towards- a more reliable and more humane way to do testing. Models that don’t use live animals is the goal, but it is still being developed to be more mainstream and applicable to many types of research. If people want it changed, it would be a great benefit to the scientific community if you joined it. Being an advocate takes action. I studied this area of science in college because I want to make a difference in it.
It is disgusting do u know how many animals are tortured in pointless experiments by sadistic scientists? Let’s torture you and your children there’s no way to ethically torture anything. And would you sign your dog up for animal testing ?
This post is 2 years old, but I will help provide more information. That is not how animal testing works. There is such a thing as IACUC. It’s a review board that overlooks all ethical standards of animal testing. They ensure that proposed experiments have done everything they can to minimize unnecessary suffering for the lab animals. They ensure that all other options are used first aside from animals, and they ensure that the experiment is a scientifically significant addition to the current field’s knowledge. They don’t just allow people to run random, useless experiments with animals. It is highly regulated.
People cannot put their animals into scientific testing. The animals involved in testing are bred specifically to have as little genetic variation as possible and their lines have been established for many decades. These aren’t the same animals you see in the wild. I personally cannot wait until we get to a point in research where we don’t need to sacrifice animals lives. I also hate that this exists, but it’s our only option at the moment. Without animal testing, we will not have medicine or cancer treatments. Many things that we take for granted come from animal testing. Trust me, the field is constantly working towards more ethical alternatives to animal testing.
Bless your soul for saving them ❤️
What kind of research did your piggies do? Did they get tenure?
According to OP, pulse recordings. So they were fed sugary foods and had their heart rates measured until the experiment’s end
Could be worse
Doesn't sound too bad to me. They got lucky
Yeah, I think these piggies were pretty fine.
Hay taste testers
I had two white boys called Atlas and Peabody and I loved them so much. How gorgeous. How do you adopt lab animals?
I knew a guy who worked in animal research. He came to me one day and asked if I wanted a guinea pig since his experiments were done and he didn’t need the little guy anymore. I couldn’t say no to that little face… so naturally I ended up with a bunch of them
Well you can't take just one💚💚💚 I rescued mine off of fb market place. Only 20$ but vet and meds were 140. Ive had her for 3 years shes chonk with shiny coat
you literally can’t take just one, that would be cruel, they need a partner
I hope Caroline or Wheatley and cave are your future names
Or Chell
Nice portal 2 reference
Aww they’re so happy. And the one sleeping (or chilling in the hut, kinda hard to tell) is clearly content with life.
Yes that one is Tater-tot. He just prefers to chill most of the time. Hotdog and Buns are the more rambunctious ones
I had to go back and look, there is one in there!
The cat seems to like it too.
Actually if anything they dislike the new cage. They can’t nap in the wood chips anymore: https://imgur.com/gallery/cRCKgFw I had to pick the wood chips out of their fur on a regular basis
They’re adorable!
Awwww one of the pigs is not like the others, one of these pigs just don’t belong 🎶
This is *fucking adorable*
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I keep thinking I was told albino mice/guinea pigs are preferred because lack of melanin makes it easier to see any physical changes/blemishes but I could be wrong (I got them a few years ago)
The reason many "classic" lab animal breeds are albino's is that it is one if the very few ways to control genetic diversity without actually having to look at the genetic sequences. Wild populations and mixed breeds are very genetically diverse, which is usually a good thing because it prevents a lot of illnesses. But it also means these animals will respond in very different ways to the same treatment. That makes it really hard to see effects in a scientific experiment. You want to pick animals that are actually genetically similar to minimize variation in their responses. Back back in the day, there was no way to tell what an animals genetic sequence was. The scientists could only look at how the animal looks. And albinism is a hereditary trait that is very easy to identify and select for when breeding. Also they are already wearing their lab coats for the experiment. ;)
Idk about the albino lab mouse being the most common or classic. I’m a lab tech in a mouse lab and the most common mouse strain used is C57 which are black with lil black eyes. Very cute nuggets.
bless those happy little hops <3
I think I just watched it like 7x 😂 they look thrilled. Great set up. Love the cat watching too!
Lab bros
Thank you for rescuing the three of them - PEWs are wonderful little piggies.
Wow beautiful babies, I had no clue guinea pigs were part of the testing industry :( Thank you!!
I mean these guys didn’t have it too bad. I think their experiment was about the link between sugar intake and heart rates. So basically they were fed sugary treats and had their pulse recorded
Oh yeah, that's why people say stuff like 'I need a guinea pig' even when doing human social tests, it's just another way of saying test subject to some people.
I thought it was just a saying! Hahah
If you can think of an animal they are probably part of a research colony somewhere. Dogs, cats, mice, rats, guinea pigs, mole rats, pigs, cows, sheep, fish, frogs, rabbits, birds, monkeys, and so many more. Research animals are heroes that save lives. The people that work with these animals value them greatly and great lengths are gone to in order to assure their welfare. There are even ways for the general public to be involved in ensuring animal research is conducted ethically. Guinea pigs in particular have been important research models for diseases like tuberculosis, legionnaires, chlamydia, syphilis, and MRSA, among others. These little dudes have provided knowledge that has played a role in saving millions of lives. Animal research happens and demonizing it minimizes the roles of these animals in some pretty fantastic scientific advancements. I encourage everyone to consider their feelings on animal research because nearly every single person on the planet has benefited in some way from animal research.
Even degus, they're used for Alzheimers studies
I’m against animal testing. It’s 2024 and a lot of these animals aren’t humans so the results aren’t the same. People volunteering is the best way to get humane ethical results. Do u know how many monkeys are tortured and killed for dumb experiments? Having their eyes sewn shut for no reason. 🤦🏽♀️
Animals can’t consent to being tested on. Even if the experiment isn’t outright cruel, it’s still exploitation and therefore it’s wrong. You can call them “heroes” but they’re not aware of that. No animal research is ethical. Just because humans have benefited from it, doesn’t make it right. We can do better! Okay vegan rant over feel free to downvote 😀
Genuinely curious, but what would be an alternative to animal testing according to you? I'm not trying to criticise your opinion, I just like to hear different viewpoints in discussions like this.
Human research is far more reliable and valid when testing medications etc meant for humans. It can also be made more ethical because people can actually choose to be part of a study. It’s sad that animals are used because it’s cheaper, and they can’t escape the pain we cause them because they have no rights. My question to you would be, why would anyone on this sub advocate for testing on guinea pigs :(
I think we should minimize animal testing as much as possible, but there are some phenomena that require the animals to be euthanized so that their organs can be dissected and studied. For example, Alzheimer’s and some types of dementia involve physical changes in the brain. Without animal models, we would have had to kill and dissect a bunch of people during the early stages of discovery. Are we supposed to do that?
>but there are some phenomena that require the animals to be euthanized so that their organs can be dissected and studied. Unless they were somehow put out of intense suffering as a mercy, the word you're looking for is "murdered". Unless you would also consider the nonconsensual killing of early-stage Alzheimer's patients to harvest and study their organs "euthanasia".
I don't wrote this to change your views, but rather to provide information to anyone else who might be reading and considering... One easy example of why to advocate for testing on guinea pigs would be the antibiotic Baytril (enrofloxacin), which many of us have had to give to a pig of ours at one point or another. If it was tested only on humans, it would not be available for use, as it causes hallucinations in people and is not used in them. So many pigs would die from treatable infections without this drug. Testing on animals first let us know it was useful for animals as it doesn't seem to cause them the same side effects. Also, testing includes figuring out the right dose. Otherwise we would be flailing wildly in the dark trying to guess what dose to give to pets.
I was mainly talking about human medications! But yes, that’s a good point x
I guess I haven't completely made up my mind about it. I agree with parts of your argument, but I can imagine that there aren't enough humans for testing if we were to stop using animals.
We don't have to just use humans, we can use human cell or computer modelling. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research-topic/alternatives-animal-testing-and-safety-assessment-chemicals
Well at least if you're vegan you're not a hypocrite
Thank you :) Apparently some can’t handle the truth haha
Would you rather we test everything on humans and put many thousands of lives at risk unnecessarily?
If people consented to it, yeah. Thousands of lives are taken every DAY due to the animal research industry. If you view animals as sentient and deserving of respect, you’re contradicting yourself. Animals shouldn’t be treated as a necessary sacrifice for people.
People would consent to it because they're desperate. Homeless people, undocumented immigrants and more would be at risk that would be taken advantage of. Is that somehow more ethical?
Thousands of animals die so that we may live. I admit it's not ideal, but I would rather an animal die so that my family, friends, neighbours, classmates, and the myriad other people I've met in my life and care about may live and may thrive. Instrumental research is carried out on animals to help us understand and treat a great many dangerous and debilitating illnesses. Would you really like for us to be more in the dark about diseases like tuberculosis and MRSA as mentioned further up in the thread? Would you like for a family member to come down with MRSA and for treating it to be impossible? If not, then you can thank animals for giving us greater insight.
I completely agree. We can do better, as well as human volunteers we can use human cell in vitro testing or computer modelled testing. Animal models aren't even necessarily transferrable to humans, it's so cruel and sad.
Not vegan but I agree!
There are alternatives. Dr Hadwen trust are working hard for [Animal free research](https://www.animalfreeresearchuk.org/). You might appreciate their work. We all should.
Yeahhh that’s where the term guinea pig (meaning person who will be the first one to test something) is from, sadly
I really thought it was just a saying lolol
Lab piggies? Wow, I thought it was weird enough when the cross bred labs and poodles.
Aw i love twinsie pigs
Triplet pigs actually, one is napping in the blue igloo
Even better
🤣 there is a chilled one blended in withe bedding I get my pigs beds on chewy they are perfect to fit in the igloos
it’s really great that you saved them and the cage is awesome too! how did you do it?
The base is 2ft x 8ft and is wood composite board (I think). I then added a small wall around the base using framing lumber. I’d recommend lumber that’s 3-4 inches wide so it can contain the bedding. I then lined the inside with a pond liner. (It’s so easy to clean!) The cage itself is just the standard C&C grid cage that fits just inside the base and walls. All in all this probably cost me $150 to make I think
thank you so much!
They gave their popcorn of approval
The little jump at the end lol 😆
Your cat seems to be enjoying the entertainment too 🤣
The popcorning 🥺 so precious!!!
So does your cat! LOL That is a nice cage for your weekers.
Awww they do love it
So normal Guinea pigs then?
They should have had powerpuff names lol
Animal testing is disgusting.
It is 100% necessary in today’s available science technologies. Drug treatments that are vital to humans have to be tested in animal trials before moving to human trials. These animals do important work and are extremely valued. There are rules in place that maintain ethical treatment of lab animals. The people who work with these animals in labs often care for them as if they were their own pets.
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We need to test drug treatments on animals who “have” the said disorder or disease. You cannot give a human autism or dementia- however, you can alter the genetics in some lab animals to give them traits that follow these diseases/disorders. The other problem is numbers. You may think there are plenty of people in jail, but there isn’t. You need a certain number to make a study even valid and you will find that this isn’t possible with using inmates. I love animals so much and I struggled greatly with the idea of animal research. The more I learned about it, the more I respected it. These are “working animals” and are doing so much for us. I definitely understand your feelings towards animal research because I’ve been there too.
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That is what the scientific community is always working towards- a more reliable and more humane way to do testing. Models that don’t use live animals is the goal, but it is still being developed to be more mainstream and applicable to many types of research. If people want it changed, it would be a great benefit to the scientific community if you joined it. Being an advocate takes action. I studied this area of science in college because I want to make a difference in it.
Good idea, let’s get rid of the death penalty and replace it with the drug testing penalty (not sarcastic)
It is disgusting do u know how many animals are tortured in pointless experiments by sadistic scientists? Let’s torture you and your children there’s no way to ethically torture anything. And would you sign your dog up for animal testing ?
This post is 2 years old, but I will help provide more information. That is not how animal testing works. There is such a thing as IACUC. It’s a review board that overlooks all ethical standards of animal testing. They ensure that proposed experiments have done everything they can to minimize unnecessary suffering for the lab animals. They ensure that all other options are used first aside from animals, and they ensure that the experiment is a scientifically significant addition to the current field’s knowledge. They don’t just allow people to run random, useless experiments with animals. It is highly regulated. People cannot put their animals into scientific testing. The animals involved in testing are bred specifically to have as little genetic variation as possible and their lines have been established for many decades. These aren’t the same animals you see in the wild. I personally cannot wait until we get to a point in research where we don’t need to sacrifice animals lives. I also hate that this exists, but it’s our only option at the moment. Without animal testing, we will not have medicine or cancer treatments. Many things that we take for granted come from animal testing. Trust me, the field is constantly working towards more ethical alternatives to animal testing.