Pig Farming

Pig Welfare and Pain Management Advanced

Advanced pain management in pigs addresses the welfare deficit from common painful procedures and conditions that have historically been undertreated.

Key Facts

Castration, tail docking, and teeth clipping are performed without anaesthesia in most EU systems
Pre-emptive analgesia before painful procedures reduces total pain experienced
NSAIDs including meloxicam provide significant post-procedural pain relief in pigs
Local anaesthesia for surgical castration is available and effective but rarely used
Training stockpeople to recognise and report pig pain improves treatment speed and welfare

Welfare Considerations

Pain management in pigs lags significantly behind dogs, cats, and horses despite equivalent evidence for pain experience. Routine procedures are performed without anaesthesia on the basis of cost and practicality rather than evidence of reduced suffering. Advanced pain management approaches combining local anaesthesia, NSAIDs, and stockperson training represent achievable welfare improvements that significantly reduce suffering from both routine procedures and disease.

What You Can Do

Support legislation requiring anaesthesia and analgesia for pig castration and tail docking
Advocate for pre-emptive analgesia to be standard in pig veterinary protocols
Choose pork from farms with documented pain management procedures