Pain recognition and treatment in cattle is a critical welfare issue. Evidence shows that painful conditions in cattle are frequently undertreated, partly because cattle conceal pain as a survival behaviour.
Cattle that are in pain experience reduced welfare across multiple dimensions, including feed intake, social interaction, and production. Because cattle are prey animals, they minimise overt pain signs until suffering is severe, leading to systematic underestimation of pain prevalence. Lameness, foot rot, mastitis, and post-procedure pain are all conditions where analgesia is proven to improve both welfare and productivity yet remains inconsistently applied. Training farmers and vets in validated pain assessment tools is among the most impactful welfare interventions available.