Michigan State to stop using live animals for surgical teaching

East Lansing

-- Michigan State University (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) will stop using live animals in terminal procedures to train veterinary students in surgical techniques beginning with the fall 2010 semester.

Live animals will still be used in some parts of veterinary education, but not for terminal surgeries, says the school."This decision was based on a number of factors and we have been decreasing the number of animals used for several years," says Linda Chadderton, a spokeswoman for the veterinary college.

The decision was made within the veterinary college and has been a long time coming, Chadderton says.

"It was just an evolution over time," she says, who explains the school decided students can be taught just as effectively using models and animal cadavers as with live animals.MSU currently purchases animal bred specifically for scientific purposes.