Farmed Pig Pain Recognition: Advances in Assessment and Treatment

Recognising pain in pigs is challenging because the species masks signs of vulnerability, but validated pain assessment tools are now improving detection and treatment across farm settings.

Key Facts

Pigs are prey species that instinctively mask signs of weakness including pain; this makes clinical recognition difficult
The Piglet Grimace Scale (PGS) and Pig Grimace Scale (PGS) are validated tools using facial action units to assess pain
Post-castration, post-surgery, and lameness pain are the best-studied contexts for pig pain assessment
Lameness scoring systems (1-5 scale) are used on commercial farms but often underestimate pain compared to grimace scales
NSAIDs including meloxicam are effective for acute pain relief and are increasingly required before procedures
Multi-modal pain management - combining local anaesthesia with systemic analgesics - provides superior relief
Farm vets report that pain recognition training for stockpeople significantly improves identification and treatment rates
Chronic pain conditions including osteochondrosis and arthritis are underdiagnosed in commercial pigs

Welfare Considerations

The development and validation of pig-specific pain assessment tools represents real progress in farm animal welfare science. The grimace scale approach - identifying subtle changes in facial expression associated with pain - provides stockpeople and vets with a practical tool that doesn't require interpretation of behaviour alone. The next step is translating validated tools into farm training programmes and making their use routine in commercial pig management. Pairing better detection with available pain relief options (NSAIDs are cost-effective and widely available) can significantly reduce chronic and acute pain burden across the commercial pig population.

What You Can Do

Support organisations that train pig farmers in pain recognition and assessment
Advocate for mandatory pain relief before painful procedures in all pig production systems
Choose pork from systems that require documented pain management protocols
Donate to research institutions developing and validating farm animal pain assessment tools
Ask pork producers and retailers about their pain management standards and stockperson training