Thursday, May 20, 2010

Correspondence Courses in Animal Care

Correspondence courses in animal care allow students to get the best opportunities in animal care, without spending time in traditional college classes. Today a lot of students approach correspondence courses in animal science. Advanced technologies have presented many chances in distance education and these have positive effects in the field of animal care too.

One can attend a correspondence course while attending to other jobs. Here you access classes through the Internet and telecourses. The telecourses come with video taped lectures and lessons and that can be seen on display devices. This enables students to complete their assignments and forward them to an instructor for feedback.

Nowadays, many colleges and universities offer correspondence programs in animal science. These courses are ideal for a career in veterinarian's practice, horse farm, animal hospital, pet store, wildlife or livestock program, ranch and zoo. In some cases, there are no educational or experience prerequisites to enroll for courses. Apart from short term courses, colleges offer three-year correspondence courses in animal science. The curriculum includes workshops on handling and sexing animals, animal restraint, blood sampling and fecal examination for parasites, and other surgical techniques. The courses are conducted on a semester basis, and each year has two semesters. A written exam is included at the end of each semester and a final exam is held after completion of three years of study. The college sends all the study materials and provides assistance from qualified instructors. The practical is carried out in real-world situations. Seminars on animal care are included for researchers. All these courses are approved by government agencies, and certificates are awarded on the successful completion of courses.

Correspondence courses in animal care are open to anyone aged 18 or above. If you are selecting a correspondence course related to the study of small animals, there are a number of mandatory lessons to be followed. Introduction to laboratory animals, animals used in research, management of laboratory animals, life cycle information, principles of animal health, diseases and control of diseases, as well as the handling, behavior, housing and nutrition information of animals are included.

In short, correspondence courses in animal care are good vocational training and ensure a rewarding career in animal service. [http://www.WetPluto.com/Army-Correspondence-Courses.html]Correspondence Courses provides detailed information on Correspondence Courses, Army Correspondence Courses, Bible Correspondence Courses, College Correspondence Courses and more. Correspondence Courses is affiliated with [http://www.e-DistanceLearningPrograms.com]Graduate Distance Learning Programs.

ANIMAL LABORATORY

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Monday, April 19, 2010

Animal Testing

There is much controversy over the use of animals for research. The practice is known as animal experimentation, animal research or in vivo testing is conducted worldwide. Over 100 million animals are used annually for this research.

The research is conducted at universities, medical schools, pharmaceutical companies, farms, defense industries and commercial facilities. The purpose is the study of genetics, developmental biology, behavioural patterns, tissue and organ transplantation and drug testing.

The practice of animal testing dates back to the Greeks. Before applying surgical procedures to humans, animals were used to verify the method. Louis Pasteur induced anthrax in sheep proving his germ theory. Ivan Pavlov used dogs to demonstrate classical conditioning. Insulin was isolated in dogs. Antibiotics and a vaccine for leprosy was developed in armadillos. In 1996, Dolly the Sheep was the first mammal to be cloned.

Drug testing using animals became a significant part of the drug development process. To avoid new drugs from coming on the market and causing bad reactions, Congress passed a law in 1937 requiring the new drug to be tested on animals first.

The fruit fly and the nematode worm are the most used invertebrate. Although they can be studied in large numbers, they lack an adaptive immune system which limited their use. Rats, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils and rabbits can provide a better basis for human comparison in drug and genetic testing. Cats are used in neurological testing. Dogs are use in cardiology, endocrinology and bone and joint studies. Monkeys are used in drug testing, AIDS, neurology, behavior and tissue and organ transplantation.

The animals are supplied by Class A breeders licensed to sell them for research purposes. Licensed Class B breeders can sell them from random sources i.e. shelters, auctions. Four states require shelters to sell them for research and fourteen states prohibit this practice.

The debate is over how much pain and suffering an animal is exposed to and how cruel is the practice. In some cases, the pain is momentary, some cases anesthesia is used and others there is no pain relief. If it suffers intensely, it may be euthanized before regaining consciousness.

The current position by most countries is that animal testing is desirable to gain medical knowledge if the suffering and use is minimal. The testing must benefit human beings in saving lives. Minority groups argue that animals have rights and testing is in violation of these rights. Most countries have adapted the three Rs principle: used non-animal methods when possible, obtain information from fewer animals or more information from the same number of animals and minimize pain and suffering.

Frank Loethen lives with his wife and three cats, Sunny, Sinclair and Midnite, in Georgia. If you enjoyed this article, please visit my cat products website, [http://www.purrfectcatproducts.com]http://www.purrfectcatproducts.com, your one stop site for all your cat and kitten needs. Cat food, cat toys, litter accessories and cat treats are among the many items on the site. You can also see my three cats on the site.

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