**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PAIN MANAGEMENT OF PIGS IS LACKING WITHIN U.S. SWINE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. PAINFUL EVENTS, SUCH AS PARTURITION AND PROCESSING PROCEDURES, OCCUR WITHOUT ANALGESIA PROVISION. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO ANALGESICS APPROVED BY THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) FOR USE IN SWINE, WHICH LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE ROUTINE PAIN MANAGEMENT TO PIGS. IN ORDER TO EVENTUALLY OBTAIN DRUG APPROVAL BY THE FDA, A MEAT WITHHOLD PERIOD MUST BE ESTABLISHED TO ENSURE NO RESIDUES ARE FOUND IN EDIBLE TISSUES, ENSURING CONSUMER SAFETY. THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WILL EVALUATE THE ABILITY OF A NONSTEROIDAL, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG (FIROCOXIB) TO ALLEVIATE POST-FARROWING PAIN IN SOWS AND RELIEVE PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH SURGICAL CASTRATION AND TAIL DOCKING IN PIGLETS. IT WILL ALSO CHARACTERIZE THE EDIBLE TISSUE RESIDUE DEPLETION KINETICS OF FIROCOXIB IN SOWS. FIROCOXIB WILL BE ADMINISTERED ORALLY TO THE SOW AND BE DELIVERED TRANSMAMMARY TO HER NURSING PIGLETS 12H PRIOR TO PIGLET PROCESSING PROCEDURES. THIS WILL ALLOW PIGLETS TO NONINVASIVELY RECEIVE AN ANALGESIC AHEAD OF A PAINFUL EVENT, GIVING TIME FOR ADEQUATE BLOOD-DRUG LEVELS TO BE REACHED. THIS DRUG DELIVERY METHOD ALSO RELIEVES THE SOW OF PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH PARTURITION. PRODUCERS WILL NOT ONLY HAVE AN EASY, TIME- AND COST-EFFECTIVE OPTION FOR MANAGING PIGLET PROCESSING PAIN, THEY MAY ALSO SEE REDUCED PIGLET MORTALITY AND INCREASED AVERAGE DAILY GAIN OF PIGLETS BY ALLEVIATING POST-FARROWING PAIN IN THE SOW. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECTIS TO IMPROVE PAIN MANAGEMENT OF PIGS IN U.S. COMMERCIAL SWINE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.