Vegans and medical research?

[Hemlock]

I'm doing my final medical dissertation research paper at uni. I've attempted to do a vegan project researching cross infection from equipment to humans in the clinical environment but it's a minefield.
I thought agar plates were ok as they are a vegetable gelatin made from various kinds of algae or seaweed. The algae are collected, bleached and dried. Then the gelatin substance is extracted with water and made into the sample plates.
All the other substances that are being used by me and the lab are non- animal derived products.
However, I am now informed half way through the project that I must use horse blood agar plates!!!!
I spoke to the lab about this and they were extremely helpful, they referred me to someone who had visited the horse farm they use and he told me the horses have a happy life and are free to run around, play, eat whatever they like and have nice stables and they basically give blood for these agar plates like human blood donors do and don't seem to be bothered by it.
I just don't know what to think about the whole thing??????

[RedWellies]

Speaking as someone who knows horses, it would depend on how often these horses "donated". Horses are fairly tolerant of having injections and having blood taken but if it was done every day, for example, they would probably get annoyed/upset.

Is blood the only thing they are kept for? What happens if one is sick/on medication? Where do they get these horses from?

[harpy]

Did they say why the ordinary agar plates wouldn't do? Can you get a second opinion?

[Hemlock]

That's all I know at the moment, I'm trying to find out more. Honest to God you spend months planning ethical medical research just to have it scuppered at the last minute

[harpy]

Yes, it sounds a pain. I'd want to know all the facts before deciding. Maybe you could ask to go and see the horses as well?

[Hemlock]

Looking at this link amongst others I am not very happy about the whole blood harvesting thing especially as many of the farms are in places like Columbia where animal welfare may not be a priority over profit!

http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/anima...od/index.htm#3

All the local labs and hospitals are using these now. I wonder if Peta/Viva et al will consider doing an investigation into this? I will contact them and see if anyone has any indepth information.
I am going to request plain agar plates and hope my research project still gets passed

[RedWellies]

You could also contact the British Horse Society, they may know about this issue, or may look into it (I think they have a welfare section).
http://www.bhs.org.uk/Content/Default.asp

[Jacqui]

I am going to request plain agar plates and hope my research project still gets passed

Good for you Hemlock!
Everyday I learn about another way we are abusing animals.
I dont think it matters how the horses are kept, but it matters that it is THEIR blood, and they are not giving it, we are taking it.

[RedWellies]

Just to make sure there are no misunderstandings, I was not condoning the practice of taking horse's blood. I'd hoped that would be assumed.

[Jacqui]

My post was not aimed at anyone RedWellies.
I am just constantly horrified by the way animals are used and abused.

[RedWellies]

That's cool, I just wanted to be sure I was understood.