Developing validated pain assessment tools for pigs has enabled better welfare monitoring in veterinary and farm contexts, improving detection and treatment of pain conditions.
Pain assessment in pigs has advanced significantly through ethogram-based behavioural tools that allow non-invasive, standardised evaluation of pain probability and severity. These tools enable earlier intervention — farmers and vets who can recognise pain reliably treat it sooner and more effectively. The Porcine Grimace Scale, modelled on facial action coding methods used in other species, allows assessment of pain state from photographs of the pig's face. Pain recognition training for stockpeople improves welfare outcomes across a range of conditions and represents a high-impact, low-cost intervention in commercial pig production.