Veterinary education has traditionally relied on live and cadaver animals for training, but simulation technologies are providing increasingly capable alternatives that improve both welfare and training outcomes.
The use of animals in veterinary training creates an ethical paradox: animals suffer to train those who will care for animals. Advances in simulation technology have substantially narrowed the gap between simulator training and live animal training outcomes, making continued use of animals for many procedures harder to justify. The welfare benefit extends in two directions: fewer animals used in training, and better-trained vets who can recognise and manage pain more effectively in their patients. Progressive veterinary schools have led this transition; regulatory bodies and accreditation standards should accelerate it globally.