Cattle are stoic animals that mask pain effectively, making recognition of chronic and acute pain a key challenge for farmers and veterinarians seeking to improve welfare.
Cattle pain recognition is a skill that requires training and validated tools. Farmers who can accurately identify pain intervene earlier, improving both welfare and production outcomes. The Bovine Facial Action Units system provides an objective means of assessing pain severity from facial expression — analogous to grimace scales used in other species. The normalisation of mild lameness and sub-clinical disease on farms means pain that would be treated immediately in companion animals goes unaddressed for weeks or months. Changing this culture requires both education and practical tools.