Last month we reported on a really interesting relationship between varicose vein treatment and an entirely different industry: the wool-gathering industry in Australia. To give a little bit of background on the issue, wool-gatherers have been locked in a battle with animal welfare experts because of a practice called mulesing in which strips of wool are removed from around the breach of the sheep.
Animal welfare experts say that the act of mulesing causes pain to the sheep due primarily to the fact that breach clips are used which cut off the sheep's circulation. As anyone with varicose veins knows, it can be really painful when there are circulatory problems going on in the body. People from groups like PETA say that there's no reason to continue this practice when there are alternatives that are not painful which could be implemented in the wool-gathering industry.
One of the alternatives that has been under consideration has been the use of varicose vein treatment procedures done on humans (like sclerotherapy). New reports indicate that PETA believes that this could be an agreeable alternative.
Question of the Day: Is it surprising that human varicose vein treatments are being used on animals?
