Pig Pain Recognition in Practice

How stockpeople and vets can better identify pain in pigs to ensure timely treatment and welfare.

Key Facts

Pigs are stoic animals that often hide pain, making recognition challenging for stockpeople
The Pig Grimace Scale is a validated tool for assessing pain based on facial expression
Lameness, postural abnormalities, and reduced social interaction are key pain indicators
Untreated pain in pigs leads to reduced feed intake, poor growth, and welfare compromise
Analgesics including meloxicam and ketoprofen are effective but underused in pig production
Pain recognition training for stockpeople improves welfare outcomes at the farm level

Welfare Considerations

Pain is among the most significant welfare issues in pig production, yet it remains underrecognised and undertreated. Pigs that are lame, injured, or sick often continue to be housed with the group without individual attention or pain relief, partly because recognising pain in this species requires training and close observation. Validated pain scales such as the Pig Grimace Scale are practical tools that can be integrated into stockperson training. Widespread adoption of routine analgesic use after surgical procedures and for identified painful conditions would represent a major welfare improvement.

What You Can Do

Learn the Pig Grimace Scale and other validated pain indicators for pigs
Advocate for routine analgesic use following tail docking, castration, and teeth clipping
Support stockperson training programmes that include pain recognition modules
Encourage farms to maintain health records that include pain treatment data
Support research into long-acting pain relief options appropriate for commercial pig production