Accurately recognizing pain in pigs is foundational to their welfare care, and validated pain assessment tools are transforming clinical and farm-level management of pig pain.
Pig pain recognition is a field where welfare science has advanced significantly but implementation lags substantially. Validated tools like the Pig Grimace Scale allow trained observers to assess pain from facial expressions, providing objective measures that supplement behavioral observation. The major welfare gap is between evidence availability and practice: castration and tail docking without analgesia remain common despite clear evidence of pain and available treatments. Closing this gap requires producer training, veterinary advocacy for analgesic protocols, and certification standards that require pain management for routine procedures.