Livestock

Routine Surgical Procedures in Pigs: Welfare Evidence 2026

Routine surgical procedures including castration, tail docking and teeth clipping in pigs cause pain and welfare impacts that can be reduced or eliminated with analgesic use and management alternatives.

Key Facts

Castration, tail docking and teeth clipping are performed routinely in piglet production in many countries
EU law permits these procedures in early life but requires pain relief for castration after 7 days
Teeth clipping is performed to prevent facial wounds from fighting, though evidence for its effectiveness is mixed
All three procedures cause acute pain measurable by physiological and behavioural indicators

Welfare Considerations

Routine surgical procedures in piglets cause unnecessary pain that is preventable with analgesic use and management alternatives. Teeth clipping can damage teeth and cause jaw pain. Tail docking prevents tail biting but does not address the root cause. Welfare priorities include providing local anaesthetic and NSAIDs for castration, eliminating routine teeth clipping, and addressing root causes of tail biting rather than defaulting to docking.

What You Can Do

Support pork supply chains transitioning away from routine painful procedures without analgesia
Advocate for mandatory pain relief for all surgical procedures in pig production
Choose pork certified under schemes minimising routine painful procedures
Support research into management alternatives that reduce the need for surgical procedures