Pain management in swine

Common causes of pain in swine

Addressing the root cause of pain is the first step. Routine husbandry procedures in pigs (e.g. castration) are often necessary for safety, meat quality or management purposes, but can cause significant discomfort and distress to the animals if not properly managed. Inadequate housing conditions or illness also can cause pain. Veterinarians play a pivotal role in assessing animal needs and offering comprehensive guidance to uphold welfare standards. Ultimately happy pigs will perform better.

Identifying signs of pain in swine

Detecting discomfort or pain in pigs can be challenging. General indicators of pain may include decreased appetite, lethargy, abnormal posture and movement or an increase in heart and respiratory rates. More subtle signs can be classified with a pig grimacing scale.

Pain management strategies for swine

Adequate pain medication will depend on the cause and the location of pain and may be multimodal, i.e. a combination of different analgesics administered via various routes (oral, injection, local) to optimise the effect.