Assessment arithmetic

Feline Grimace Scale total

Add five clinician-selected facial action-unit scores. This tool does not classify pain severity, determine an analgesia threshold, or direct treatment.

Use current validated Feline Grimace Scale resources and clinician judgment to determine each 0–2 action-unit score before entering it here.

Educational support only. Verify action-unit scoring and clinical decisions against current references and licensed veterinary judgment.
Scope and use
  • Arithmetic only: Feline Grimace total = ear position + orbital tightening + muzzle tension + whiskers change + head position.
  • Clinician-selected inputs: each action unit is entered as 0, 1, or 2 after validated assessment.
  • Not produced: this tool does not classify pain severity, determine an analgesia threshold, select treatment, or set a recheck interval.
  • Privacy: this calculator does not retain patient records or assessment results.
Basis and limits

The validating Feline Grimace Scale study identifies ear position, orbital tightening, muzzle tension, whiskers change, and head position as five action units, each scored from 0 to 2. The clinical meaning of a total and treatment decisions remain outside this arithmetic tool.

Read the open-access validation study

Scoring audit trail

The selected scores and total will appear here for verification.

Last reviewed: July 2026

Scope: transparent action-unit arithmetic only. Verify assessment and any clinical decision with current feline pain references and clinical judgment.