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USDA Pain Category Planner.

Classify animals into USDA pain/distress categories B, C, D, and E. Generate a per-category summary table for Form 7023 annual reporting.

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Protocol Information

Procedure 1

Required fields
  • Procedure 1: description is required.
  • Procedure 1: species is required.

When to use

  • Classifying animals by USDA pain category for your IACUC protocol
  • Preparing data for the USDA Annual Report (Form 7023)
  • Reviewing a colleague's protocol to verify correct category assignments
  • Generating a summary table for institutional compliance reporting
  • Tracking pain categories even for non-USDA species for AAALAC records

Do not use for

  • For species not covered by the Animal Welfare Act when only USDA compliance is needed
  • As a substitute for IACUC veterinary review of pain category assignments
  • For IBC or IRB reporting — different regulatory frameworks

When in doubt, classify conservatively (higher category)

If you are unsure whether a procedure is Category C or D, classify it as D. Down-classifying is harder to defend during an audit than up-classifying. The IACUC and institutional veterinarian can always reclassify downward if warranted.

Category E requires specific, not generic, justification

"Analgesics would interfere with the study" is not sufficient. Specify which drug, what mechanism, and what specific endpoint it would confound. Example: "Buprenorphine is a mu-opioid agonist that would alter nociceptive thresholds, which is the primary endpoint of this study."

Mice and rats bred for research are NOT on Form 7023

This is a common source of confusion. Lab mice (Mus musculus) and rats (Rattus norvegicus) bred for research purposes are specifically excluded from USDA coverage by the Animal Welfare Act. Wild-caught rodents and purpose-bred rats/mice for non-research purposes may still be covered.

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Method

Classifies each procedure entry into USDA categories B, C, D, or E based on user-selected pain level, anesthesia/analgesia use, and scientific justification. Sums animals per category for Form 7023 reporting. Validates that Category E entries include written justification and flags non-USDA species (rats, mice, birds bred for research). Reference: USDA APHIS Animal Care Policy Manual. All computation is client-side.

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Published

Published 2026-04-07. Calculations support planning and documentation; verify procurement decisions against manufacturer specifications or institutional SOPs.

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How to cite

How to Cite

ConductScience USDA Pain Category Planner. ConductScience, Inc. 2026. Available at: https://conductscience.com/tools/usda-pain-category-calculator

USDA APHIS. Animal Care Policy Manual. Washington, DC: USDA; 2023.

USDA APHIS. Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations. 9 CFR Parts 1-4. Washington, DC: US Government Publishing Office; 2023.

Guide to USDA pain/distress categories

Category B — Held, no procedures

Animals being bred, conditioned, or held for future use. Example: breeding colonies, sentinel animals, animals awaiting assignment to a study.

Category C — No pain/distress

Procedures involving no pain, or momentary/slight pain. Examples: routine blood draws, injections, gavage, euthanasia by approved methods, behavioral observation without intervention, non-invasive imaging under brief anesthesia.

Category D — Pain relieved by drugs

Procedures that cause more than momentary pain or distress, where appropriate anesthesia, analgesia, or tranquilizers are used. Examples: survival surgery with post-operative analgesia, tumor implantation with pain management, chronic catheter placement.

Category E — Pain NOT relieved

Procedures causing pain or distress where pain-relieving drugs are withheld because they would compromise the study. This is the most scrutinized category. Examples: pain behavior studies (analgesics would eliminate the endpoint), certain addiction models, lethal dose studies where analgesics alter metabolism. Every Category E entry requires a written justification reviewed by the IACUC.

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