http://www.change.org/petitions/uva-president-stop-cruel-outdated-trainings-on-cats#
XOXO
Me
Three cats, Alley, Fiddle, and Kiki, need our help.
They have been used in cruel trainings for seven years. For the University of Virginia to be deliberately inflicting pain and suffering on defenseless animals in the name of medical education is inappropriate, unjustified, inhumane and archaic.
As a practicing pediatrician with years of experience, I have profound concern for the health and well-being of all children, including the smallest premature infants. As a medical school faculty physician with many years experience in pediatric education and training, I have equal concern for the quality of training that aspiring pediatricians receive during their residency.
One of the more challenging aspects of this training is acquiring skills and proficiency in performing procedures, especially in very small infants. The importance of perfecting tracheal intubation (passing a breathing tube into the windpipe) cannot be overly emphasized, as it is truly lifesaving.
Many years ago this procedure was taught by practicing on animals (cats, kittens, ferrets, rabbits) whose anatomy was very different from that of a human infant.
This ineffective method of training has been replaced in modern times due to new technology in the form of human patient simulators.
These simulators, including premature infant models are astonishingly realistic, anatomically correct, and can be used over and over again without causing harm to an animal or human baby. The infant simulators cry, breathe, and turn blue when their airway is blocked. In view of this I find it incomprehensible and disturbing to learn that the University of Virginia pediatric residency program still uses Alley, Fiddle, and Kiki to train pediatric residents.
The overwhelming majority of pediatric residency programs in the U.S. and Canada – 95% in fact – have ceased using animals for training. The path of modern training has moved from animals to more effective human-based medical simulation.
Why is it that the University of Virginia refuses to make the change and continues to be in the extreme minority who are holding onto this outdated practice?
During their training, residents in their program repeatedly force breathing tubes down the throats of cats, sometimes as many as 19 – 22 times in one day,
This can cause bleeding, bruising, scarring, permanent injury and significant residual pain.
At least two cats have had their teeth broken and another had adverse effects lasting days.
Cats are used over and over again. People who have had a breathing tube inserted for anesthesia during surgery will often tell you that recovering from the tube was as bad as recovering from the surgery.
Please sign my petition encouraging UVA to do the right thing.
I have over 25 years experience working in Pediatrics at Duke University, Marshall University, East Carolina University, and Carolinas Medical Center. Based on my extensive knowledge in this field, I can confidently say that the University of Virginia does not need to continue to abuse Alley, Fiddle, and Kiki. By switching to medical simulation, not only will these cats be spared suffering but the resident training will be superior and their future pediatricians able to provide better care for their patients.
Roberta Gray, M.D., FAAP
***TO SIGN PETITION CLICK HERE***
****About the above cartoon-
Cartoonist Dan Piraro has penned a letter
to officials at St. Louis Children’s Hospital for using
cats as dummies in their pediatric intubation training sessions.
Piraro wrote a letter that appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that read, “It doesn’t take a medical degree to recognize that practicing intubation on a limp cat is nothing like doing the same procedure on a larger, crying, squirming and/or coughing human child.”
How sickening. Hard to believe they'd be doing that when better alternatives are available. "First, do no harm."
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I signed the petition. Hope it does some good.
Mr.
ReplyDeleteI have quoted that "first, do no harm" many times since Casey got sick...
But I suppose that is how most of our doctors were 'raised' to be.
Thank you for signing the petition-
I went back and looked through a few more of their petitions- And signed the horse one also.
I did hear back from one of the reps from WI, "Ribble,- (who I have no love for).
As far as petitions go, sometimes they work, sometimes not.
"Change.org" seems to have a good foot in the door with theirs.
With respect to the cyberworld we now live in, online petitions are really a good way to go- Gaining popularity too- from those of us who cannot afford to pounce on Washington for everything.
XOXO
me
Lester.
ReplyDeleteNow you will just have to sell THAT house, and buy me one- (on the reservation please).
i have the TV on during most of my days- On Animal Planet they have shows about the animal police- Some of the incidents they deal with make me want to hurt people in a very bad way; just so they know what they have done to their pets.
Makes me so mad-
As for those people that "just can't watch those shows", I say they are burying their heads in the sand and possibly denying that this awful stuff goes on.
I hope everyone that has a neighbor will check on their neighbors animals from time to time-
- and NOT BE AFRAID to make a call to the authorities to report when something bad is going on.
My neighbors are always welcome to come check out Punk and Sputty. hehehe
XOXO
Me
ReplyDelete*snort*
Sometimes i crack myself up...
hehehe
Urge Congress to End Horse Slaughter!
ReplyDeletePlease check out this important information about a bill now being considered by Congress that would protect horses from slaughter. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 (S. 1176/H.R. 2966) would prohibit shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donating horses and other equines for human consumption. If passed, it would effectively end the use of U.S. horses for food--both here and abroad.
Please use the following link to forward this information to your friends and family members: https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?page=OnScreenThanks&id=3806. Ask them to join you in bringing an end to the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption.
The Importing of domestic dog and cat fur was outlawed in the United States in 2000.
ReplyDeleteHowever unbeknown to the majority of people outside of the clothing industry and outside the sweatshops of Asia, jackets, tops, boots and accessories including gloves purses ect, coming into our countries are often tested via D.N.A. tests and many prove that all of these garments with “Faux Fur” are made out of Cat skin fur recently :-(
But how many really care.? :-(
The clothing is warm, easy to get and most of all cheap, if one is not loaded, Mmmm we'll get it this year but we'll try to do our bit by not buying it next year.
I think I commented correctly Anna