It is important to recognize pain in an animal as early as possible, so that it can receive appropriate treatment that also contributes to its welfare. Farm animals and pets show pain in similar ways. An animal in pain quickly loses its appetite and becomes less active. Four common livestock and pet species – cattle, pigs, dogs and cats – show changes in posture, such as a slouched or hunched back and a low head position. In case of leg injuries, lameness can be present in animal’s movement. The animal also shows pain through facial expressions – these signs can vary from species to species – and through vocalisation – e.g. by groaning, crying, whimpering. The intensity of the expression of behaviours, that are signs of pain, changes with the intensity of the pain. If the pain is more severe, the animal will show more signs at the same time. If it is suspected that the animal is in pain, we can use scales that use common pain signs as a tool to determine the presence and intensity of pain. There are four types of scales that differ primarily in accuracy and difficulty of use – Simple Descriptive Scales (SDS), which are the easiest to use and therefore the least accurate, Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), which are more difficult to use and require the assessor to be properly trained to use them, Numerical Rating Scales (NRS), which are similar to SDS, and the most accurate and reliable so-called Composite Scales (SC).
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