It has always been a rather puzzling question for me..how do we know when an animal is in actual pain?

Another thread in progress..'Are all animal libbers are hypocites' seems to be suggesting that animals dont feel pain..that its ok to cut out their testicals without any form of pain relief and so on.

They even suggest that pack rape of farmed animals such as pigs is 'normal' farming practice and see no problem letting this perceived cruelty go unchecked..

So can anyone define the indicators of pain in animals for me?

Should farming practices as old as settlement itself in this country come under reveiw for its cruel and barbaric farming practices?

Good question Rachel06...

The pain indicators for animals, well thats a tough one..but I assume your talking about in a scientific sense?

I guess thats like wondering if plants feel pain in a lot of cases..some believe that they do but Im not sure how we would really know.

Apart from the animal actually recoiling in terror or screaming I guess thats the only way..but a lot of animals do not vocalise when they are hurt..out of fear or simply because they do not express pain this way.

It would seem even from human there is no one definitive answer as as humans some have cvery high pain thresh holds some very low.

I can name some animals that are, or would be in obviuos pain but suffer in silence..so how can we then, have a reliable overall indicator of pain that we can apply as a general rule?

Good question though..

I'm sure you're more focused on farm animals, but certainly pet dogs can clearly indicate when they are in pain - yelping and whining. Try stepping on a dog's paw accidently and you'll know they're not happy! :)

Hi guys I think it all depends on the animal really. I breed and show staffordshire bull terriers and I tell you these dogs have some pretty bad accidents. Some from being just "staffies" and doing outrageous stuff like jumping off things and getting balls etc caught in the gut somewhere etc etc the list goes on. It is really difficult to know when they are actually really hurting. They will fight to the death with no consequence of what is happening to them and I have seen some pretty bad dog fights (accidental) they just limp away and lick their wounds. The only time I see a staffy in pain is if you ignore them or yell at them, they get really hurt then. But I guess like people all animals and all species have different pain tolerences.

posting fyi

There are allegations made against good people working to improve animal welfare.



A letter of support for pig farmer after she made contact requesting support for free range farmers.
So now you can all! see what shes now complaining about!
I have deleted the name of the farm and her name which I do Not! Have To Do.

Dear Glenyce


We received an email from a Pig Farmer re her free range pork.
The accreditations are as you know carried out by the RSPCA. Any free range is better than intensive farms.

The animals only travel two hours to the abattoir.

You rejected their offer and request to work towards supporting free range farms as you have with HKM.

As you know 96 percent of people eat meat can only now accuse you of not caring about animal welfare what so ever and being a fund raising organisation to keep yourself in a job.

These are my personal thoughts.
As the State governments make moves to literally take water from the small farms, hundreds and hundreds of applications for intensive feed lots are jumping up all over the country.

it is NOW that all Animal Welfare groups should be screaming out in support! of free range farms.

This political agenda that's running extreme groups who are vegetarian are doing the animals more harm than good.

I challenge you any time you like to debate your policies by way of a TV documentary.

people donate funds thinking they are helping animals and you refuse to help animals by pushing for Free Range Only

There is no way you represent the feelings of the Australian public to the Government.

All you are doing is making it easy for the Government to Brand all animal welfare conscious people as extreme.

This harms the animals >Not Helps

PALE

Clearly it does not pay to try to help" some". The same pig farmer who contacted "us" crying for help defames the very people who were the only ones to support her?

Breed them here Free Range Open more abattoirs and Band Live Exports

Give you a hint. Step on your cat's tail or your dog's foot. They will yelp - because it hurts. They suffer from many of the emotional pains that we know as well. They greive at the loss of family members, they get lonely, happy and sad. How do I know. Just look at your dog for a while.