Regular veterinary inspection of livestock is fundamental to identifying welfare problems early. Understanding the role of farm vets in welfare protection helps support better systems.
Veterinary inspection and health planning are among the most effective tools for systematically addressing livestock welfare. A vet visiting regularly develops knowledge of a herd over time, enabling them to identify welfare trends — increasing lameness, deteriorating body condition, rising mortality — before they become crises. Health plans that include explicit welfare targets create accountability and improvement trajectories. However, the effectiveness of veterinary inspection depends on independence and willingness to challenge poor welfare — vets working commercially for farms they inspect face conflicts of interest that can compromise welfare outcomes.