Adequate pain management is one of the most direct determinants of animal welfare in both veterinary and farm settings, yet pain is chronically undertreated across species.
Pain is the most fundamental welfare harm, and its management is both achievable and underutilized. Veterinary training historically underemphasized pain recognition and management across species. Farm animal procedures including castration, dehorning, and debeaking cause acute pain that is rarely treated. Closing the gap between available pain management and current practice would deliver enormous welfare benefits.