The evidence base for pain management medications in pigs and how to improve analgesic use in commercial and small-scale production.
Pain pharmacology in pigs has improved substantially in the past decade, with validated medications now available for common painful procedures and conditions. The remaining gap is largely one of implementation rather than knowledge: effective analgesics are available but are not routinely used for many painful husbandry procedures including castration, tail docking and ear notching in most commercial production contexts. The barriers include cost, labor requirements, regulatory complexity for food-producing animals and persistent underestimation of pig pain capacity among some producers. Bridging this gap requires a combination of regulatory mandates, producer education, veterinary leadership and consumer demand for production practices that include routine pain management.