A world without dogs in meaningless

A world without dogs is meaningless

Anthony SB Thanasayan

 | October 30, 2014

This writer cannot imagine a world without special canine friends like Vai, Biman, Soo, Reba and Zhar.

Here are some “doggie nuggets” for those wanting to discover the true nature of “man’s best friend”; and why, for so many of us, it’s nothing but an unstoppable love affair with our pets.

They are taken from my personal notes – all of them true – based on experience living with special canines for more than two decades.

THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX: My first service dog was a Malacca-born Rottweiler named Vai. He lived with me for 13 glorious years. I visited a pet shop looking for an Alsatian. 

The only dog available was the “happy-go-lucky” nine-week-old Rottie.

I wasn’t sure, at first, if this breed with a so-called “reputation for notoriety” was the kind of companion I wanted to take home with me. However, I changed my mind when the feisty pup suddenly leapt out of its cage and landed straight into my lap, licking me all over.

It was exactly what the doctor had ordered!

As a person born with a disability and having lived most of my life in a wheelchair, people without disabilities were always telling me what to do and how to live my life, instead of letting me make decisions on my own.

Vai taught me how to break out of that vicious mould for true happiness. Despite his robust size, he was also the gentlest canine I had ever met.

He saved me once when I unknowingly placed my foot on a nest of fiery red ants in the park. I couldn’t feel a thing because of my paralysed legs. Vai alerted me to them by pulling my wheelchair and got me out of there quickly.

AND ALONG CAME A LOVING GERMAN SHEPHERD: Born in Ipoh, Biman II, was my second assistance dog. He made a great team with Vai. Biman’s speciality was his extraordinary ability to perform basic tasks for me.

Once I accidentally locked myself out of the house with the keys inside together with the German Shepherd.

Realising what had happened, Biman miraculously went inside, zeroed his nose on the bunch of keys and adroitly picked them up. He came galloping towards me after that with the item securely between his jaws.

The German Shepherd also taught me to laugh at whatever life decided to serve me and to be strong during the most painful of moments.

I never realised that Biman was literally an angel sent from heaven to protect me until the day I lost him at the age of seven to cancer. There was a terrible electrical storm – one I had never witnessed before – as Biman breathed his last, while a group of veterinary surgeons fought hard to try and save his life.

Then, someone told me that when dogs suddenly died, there was a very special purpose for it. Could Biman have become a “fall guy” for a cancer that was actually meant for me?

Despite losing an amazing canine friend, I remained positive and defiant – the way my canine shepherd would have wanted me to be.

MORE ANGELS WITH TAILS: Bangsar-born Soo, my Golden Retriever, was also 13 years old when he went to heaven. He was the only service dog to travel with me to more public places than the others.

These included a shopping complex where everyone “oohed and aahed” at him and no one shooed us away; the Malaysian AIDS Council, the UN building in Kuala Lumpur and even a 24-hour return car journey to Penang. Soo knew that his sole purpose was to look after me, 24/7.

Australia-born Reba my Shetland Sheepdog discovered a nasty pressure sore in my foot which I didn’t realise was there because of my paralysis. The doctors rushed me into surgery to prevent it from turning gangrenous. Any later, they said, would have cost me not only a limb but my very life.

The top dog in my home today, undoubtedly, is my three-year-old Zhar, a Dobermann born in Petaling Jaya. He is a class above all else.

He does a variety of tasks to help me live a normal life. He makes sure I drink at least two litres of fluid a day to help me keep urine infection at bay.

He does this by bringing a full bottle of water to wherever I am – on the bed, in my wheelchair next to the computer or outside. Zhar also retrieves every single object I accidentally drop on the floor.

Zhar is also my bodyguard in the back seat when I drive. Even though we are in my room, he can hear when strangers arrive at the front gate or the slightest sounds on the roof.

Though he takes his job seriously, he is also a gentle giant when situations call for it.

Zhar is by my wheelchair at bedtime and checks on me with his wet nose now and then throughout the night to make sure I am okay. He wakes me up in the mornings when the alarm fails. It’s time once again to meet new challenges for another day.

I honestly can’t imagine a world without special canine friends like these.

How to ensure thical animal testing

How to ensure ethical animal testing

October 15, 2014

In vitro studies which must be carried out first, was an "alternative method" that has allowed animal experimentation to be discontinued in some fields of study.

By Anthony Thanasayan
The proposed Malaysian Animal Welfare Act brings hope for the ethical care and use of animals for research.
In the second part of an interview with Dr.Abdul Rahim Mutalib, a veterinarian and president of the KL-based Laboratory Animal Science Association of Malaysia (LASAM), he continued his defence of animal testing as long as it was performed “ethically and to the highest standards”.
According to Abdul Rahim, animal studies can only be carried out following an exhaustive literature search on the current status of that particular field of study and whether there were any existing in vitro studies (data obtained without using animals).
He said in vitro studies which must be carried out first, was an “alternative method” that has allowed animal experimentation to be discontinued in some fields of study.
“However, the number of animals used in research had not seen any significant reduction. This is mainly because more scientists nowadays are using animals in their research and the number of animals used in research remains in the millions worldwide,” explained Abdul Rahim.
He said that in many developed and developing countries, animal experimentation is governed by Acts and official guidelines. He added that these established guidelines are usually published by the countries’ National Research Council or Councils relating to the care and use of animals for research.
According to Abdul Rahim, this was started by scientists 60 to 70 years ago when they realised that animal experimentation had to be carried out on animals with improved health and welfare because “only good quality and healthy animals will give results which are reliable”.
“These guidelines detail the ethical principles of carrying out animal research, and take care of the animals’ welfare before, during and after the experiment,” he said while noting that currently Malaysia does not have any such law or guidelines.
He was however encouraged by the upcoming proposed Malaysian Animal Welfare Act which he revealed would include a section dealing with the use of animals for scientific purposes covering research, testing and teaching.
He felt that the law would bring about proper guidelines to ensure ethical research and improve the welfare of the animals.
“This will also elevate Malaysia’s standing among the research community worldwide in that we carry out research using animals with ethical principles,” said Abdul Rahim.
How animals are researched in Malaysia
“We have used animals for research ever since the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) in KL was established in the early 1900s. I am sure researchers during those early years would have followed some accepted guidelines, perhaps those from overseas, otherwise their findings would not have been accepted by the scientific community and be published in journals,” reasoned Abdul Rahim.
He said that Malaysian researchers realised the need to conform to the global scientific community standards on animal research and studies so in 1954, Malaysia’s first ‘Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) / Animal Ethics Committee (AEC)’ was formed at the IMR to guide researchers on the best practices for animal research.
“IACUC reviews all proposals on studies that use animal models and approve them only if all conditions are met. Currently not less than 12 independent committees exist at various research institutions and universities in Malaysia,” he added.
IACUC has helped ease the process of obtaining approvals from regulatory agencies and ensured the publication of research findings on animals.
“IACUC consists of scientists with in-depth knowledge on the use of animals in research,” said Abdul Rahim who explained that one member must be an experienced veterinarian in the field of laboratory animal science or medicine while another must be a member of the public with no experience in the use of experimental animals.
This was to ensure the opinions and views of the public on the use of animals in research were addressed.
“The principles used by the committee in determining the use of animals in research is the 3R Principle which is, Replacement, Reduction and Refinement. These three principles are closely related to ethics and animal welfare before, during and after studies,” Abdul Rahim explained.
He added that the most important requirement of the proposed animal study was scientific merit.
The responsibilities of the IACUC
Abdul Rahim said that the IACUC is also responsible for the welfare of the animals and has to make sure that the “environment where the animals are confined are comfortable”.
Through reports gained from yearly inspections, the IACUC is then able to recommend improvements that improve the welfare of the animals and reduce their stress.
He said that it was equally important for the committee to conduct training or workshops to ensure that the animals were not unduly stressed.
“The Committee will not permit an untrained person to handle the animals. Reducing or minimising stress on experimental animals is the most important factor in carrying out a study. Animals suffering from stress will produce inaccurate data and the results of the study may not be valid. Eventually, all effort will lead to animal waste. This is unethical,” said Abdul Rahim.
Regulation is the solution
“Experimental animals have been used for a long time in Malaysia. Although there is no specific law or guidelines on the use of animals in research in Malaysia, this does not mean that a researcher can simply do anything on animals to the effect of jeopardising its welfare.
Abdul Rahim said that higher learning and research also have existing policies and procedures on the use of animals. He said that with a proper procedure in place, “the demands of the scientific community worldwide will be met”.
Recommended actions
To conclude, Abdul Rahim said that an act needed to be enacted and official guidelines established in regards to the care and use of experimental animals; with a central body to monitor and regulate the facilities.
“The agency should also function to regulate the licensing of public and private facilities that wish to operate and conduct experiments using animals. This is in line with the practice of developed countries.”
Dr.Abdul Rahim Mutalib can be contacted via email: abrahim.mutalib@gmail.com
Anthony Thanasayan is a FMT columnist

Veterinarian defends animal testing

October 1, 2014

President of LASAM argues that the use of animals in medical research cannot be completely abolished.

By Anthony Thanasayan
World Animal Day which is celebrated this Saturday, is an event that was started in 1931 to highlight the plight of animals and celebrate the relationship between man and animal.
This day is also used by animal lovers and activists to call attention to key animal rights issues such as veganism, rescuing and re-homing, and animal experimentation.
One of the most controversial, and perhaps widely misunderstood animal rights issues is the unethical use of animals for testing in medical research.
Recently, I spoke with Dr.Abdul Rahim Mutalib, a veterinarian and president of the KL-based Laboratory Animal Science Association of Malaysia (LASAM) who argues that animals are still needed for research and testing purposes.
“Biological scientists worldwide also agree to it. Although many in-vitro systems such as the mechanical laboratory equipment, cell or organ culture and computer simulations have been used in biological research, none has been able to completely replace the use of animals. The animal is a ‘complete in-vivo system’, explained Abdul Rahim.
He pointed out that in-vitro systems can only show a limited response when a stimulus is given, unlike the in-vivo system of the animal.
“When a stimulus is given to the animal, several responses will occur immediately or simultaneously.
“More often, several consecutive responses will occur over a period of a few hours, days or weeks. There are also responses that will occur after several months or years. This phenomenon does not exist in the in-vitro system,” he clarified.
According to Abdul Rahim, the use of laboratory animals in experiments can be classified into a number of categories – pathogenicity studies (the study of a disease process), safety and efficacy testing of products meant for human consumption/use such as vaccine and drugs, and studies on new surgical techniques.
Other categories include propagation of certain types of microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria, cancer studies and many more.
In studying diseases, whether human or animal, laboratory animals are used as animal models.
Abdul Rahim pointed out that one of the primary uses of animal experimentation is to determine the safety and efficacy of drugs or products designed for human use.
These tests include determining the short and long-term toxic effects of a drug or product. Animals used in this type of test is divided into two categories namely, laboratory animals such as rats and mice and higher mammals such as dogs and monkeys. Testing done on the animal model is called pre-clinical testing or trial.
Abdul Rahim reasoned, “Although the physiology of animals such as the rats and dogs or monkeys are not exactly the same as that of the human physiology, there are many similarities.
“Hence, many experimental results carried out in animals can be extrapolated to humans.”
“Clinical trials are only carried out when these pre-clinical trials have been shown to have no detrimental effects on the animals.
Once this has been established and accepted by the scientific community, clinical trials in humans are then carried out,” he said in defense of animal testing.
According to Abdul Rahim, it is imperative that drugs for treatment be certified safe before it is used to treat humans.
Vaccines for humans and even animals have benefited from animal testing which uses animal models to determine their safety and efficacy. He added that animal testing has also benefited surgical techniques such as cardiology and eye surgery.
Abdul Rahim revealed that the expertise required to carry out these techniques in humans can only be obtained after numerous experiments or practices have been carried out on animals.
In the study of the pathogenesis of infection or cancers, animals are also used as models to determine the response which will eventually lead to finding a suitable drug to cure cancer.
He cautioned that it was still necessary however to determine whether a disease can be studied in a particular animal model as in many instances, only a certain animal species can serve as an experimental model for a particular disease.
“Currently, there are thousands of strains of rats and mice developed through inbreeding and transgenesis, and other laboratory animal species that are used as models to study diseases and drug testing.
“Various strains of mice and rats have been produced that spontaneously developed diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cancer and are the animals of choice as animal models in these studies,” concluded Abdul Rahim.
Dr.Abdul Rahim Mutalib can be contacted via email: abrahim.mutalib@gmail.com
Anthony Thanasayan is a FMT columnist