Evidence-based welfare assessment tools are transforming veterinary practice by providing standardized frameworks for measuring animal wellbeing.
Veterinary welfare assessment has been transformed by the development of validated, standardized measurement tools over the past two decades. Grimace scales that score facial muscle tension as pain indicators allow vets and researchers to assess pain states in species that cannot verbalize discomfort. Quality of life assessment tools provide structured frameworks for the difficult decisions around end-of-life care. These tools move welfare assessment from subjective impression to systematic evaluation, improving both the consistency and the quality of welfare-relevant clinical decisions. Their wider adoption in clinical practice would improve welfare outcomes for millions of companion and zoo animals.