Animal grimace scales developed for mice have been extended to farm animals, enabling objective pain assessment that was previously difficult to achieve reliably.
Objective pain scoring transforms pain management from subjective impression to measurable evidence. Farmers and vets with grimace scale training detect subtle pain that would previously go unnoticed and untreated. Automated systems with camera-based assessment could transform pain detection in large herds by providing continuous monitoring. Pain scores before and after analgesic treatment also verify treatment efficacy.