Pain recognition in pigs is advancing rapidly with the development of validated pain assessment tools, enabling better welfare management at key intervention points in pig production.
Pain management in pig production has historically been inadequate because pigs as prey species suppress behavioral pain indicators and because economic pressure discourages analgesic use. The development of validated pain assessment tools like the Piglet Grimace Scale represents a significant advance, enabling objective pain quantification rather than relying on observation of behaviors that pigs may suppress when feeling vulnerable. Chronic pain from lameness is particularly significant - a sow walking on painful joints throughout her reproductive life experiences sustained welfare compromise that is difficult to assess and easy to underestimate. Improved pain recognition must be paired with economic justification and practical analgesic options accessible to producers.