Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Pain Assessment Grimace Scale

The Porcine Grimace Scale provides an objective, validated tool for assessing pain in pigs that improves pain recognition and treatment uptake.

Key Facts

The Porcine Grimace Scale assesses orbital tightening, nose bulging, cheek tightening, and ear position
Validated against known painful conditions including castration and disease
Requires no equipment beyond observation and training to use reliably
Pain recognition using the scale significantly improves analgesic prescription rates
The scale can identify pain not detectable through general clinical observation alone

Welfare Considerations

Pain assessment tools that are validated and easy to use translate directly into better pain management. When stockpersons can objectively identify that an animal is in pain, they are more likely to provide treatment. The Porcine Grimace Scale is a concrete welfare improvement tool.

What You Can Do

Support stockperson training programs that include validated pain assessment tools
Advocate for grimace scale training as part of pig husbandry certification
Learn to use the Porcine Grimace Scale to improve pain recognition in your herd