An Alternative to Laboratory Animal Experimentation for Human Health Risk Assessment: Epidemiological Studies of Pet Animals

Alternative approaches to the use of laboratory animals for human health risk assessment have traditionally utilised in vitro techniques. We propose an expanded concept of an alternative to include epidemiological studies of pet animals with spontaneously occurring disease. Compared with humans, the use of pet animals has the advantage of a shorter latent period for development of most diseases and is less confounded by occupational exposures or self-selected personal exposures such as alcohol and tobacco consumption. In contrast to laboratory animal experiments, spontaneous tumours in pets reflect natural exposures to a wide variety of environmental carcinogens, which may be more sensitive for the evaluation of the effects of complex low level ambient exposures, such as air pollutants. Sources of data on pet populations and their diseases are described and examples of epidemiological studies in pet animals are presented. Unlike laboratory animal experiments which primarily benefit humans, research into the cause, prevention, and treatment of spontaneously occurring diseases in pet animals may benefit the individual animal and the species.