Chronic pain in pigs is widespread but underrecognised, with validated assessment tools only recently developed.
Chronic pain in pigs has received less attention than in cattle partly because pigs are more stoic and partly because lameness in pigs presents differently than in cattle. The Pig Grimace Scale provides a validated tool for pain assessment that has opened new possibilities for understanding and monitoring chronic pain in pig populations. Osteochondrosis in rapidly growing pigs is welfare-relevant and strongly associated with breeding for high growth rates. Slowing growth rates and improving floor design reduces osteochondrosis prevalence.