Farm Animals

Pig Pain Recognition and Management

Pain recognition in pigs has historically been poor, and many routine procedures are still performed without adequate analgesia.

Key Facts

Pigs have pain pathways similar to humans but express pain differently
Grimace scale assessment tools now allow quantitative pain scoring in pigs
Castration without anesthesia is still legal in many countries
Oral meloxicam delivery in feed enables practical pain management on farm

Welfare Considerations

Unrecognized and untreated pain is a major welfare problem in pig farming. Stoic pain expression in prey animals means pain is often invisible to observers. Development of pig pain assessment tools and practical delivery methods for analgesics is transforming farm welfare management.

What You Can Do

Support farms that use pain assessment tools and provide analgesia
Advocate for mandatory pain relief for all pig procedures
Back development of practical on-farm pain management protocols
Choose welfare-certified pork from operations with documented pain management