Adequate pain management in veterinary medicine is a fundamental welfare requirement that has historically been underprovided, with significant progress in recent decades but ongoing gaps particularly in farm animal practice.
Pain management represents one of the most direct animal welfare interventions available, and gaps in its provision represent some of the most clearly preventable welfare harms. Farmers who do not provide pain relief during castration, dehorning or docking are causing unnecessary suffering that could be avoided at relatively low cost. Barriers to provision include cost, perceived lack of necessity and inadequate veterinary advice. Veterinary engagement is critical — vets who actively prescribe and promote pain management for routine farm procedures create the conditions for culture change in farm practice. Companion animal pain management has advanced greatly, with multimodal protocols now standard in progressive practices, demonstrating what is achievable when welfare science is integrated into clinical practice.