title: Magnetic resonance imaging and computer tomography of brain lesions in water buffaloes and cattle stunned with handguns or captive bolts.
abstract: Owing to the demand for genuine mozzarella, some 330 water buffaloes are being slaughtered every year in Switzerland albeit a stunning procedure meeting animal welfare and occupational safety requirements remains to be established. To provide a basis for improvements, we sized anatomical specifics in water buffaloes and cattle and we assessed brain lesions after stunning with captive bolts or handguns by diagnostic imaging. In water buffaloes and cattle, the median distance from the frontal skin surface to the inner bone table was 74.0mm (56.0-100.0mm) vs 36.6mm (29.3-44.3mm) and from skin to the thalamus 144.8mm (117.1-172.0mm) vs 102.0 (101.0-121.0mm), respectively. Consequently, customary captive bolt stunners may be inadequate. Free bullets are potentially suitable for stunning buffaloes but involve occupational safety hazards. The results of the present study shall be used to develop a device allowing effective and safe stunning of water buffaloes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Barbara K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Schwenk
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Public Health Institute, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: isabel.lechner@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: s.ross@spitalmaennedorf.ch.
authors.forename: Steffen G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: Dominic.Gascho@irm.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gascho
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Physics/Ballistics, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: bpkneubuehl@bpk-thun.ch.
authors.forename: Beat P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Kneubuehl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Physics/Ballistics, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: matthieu.glardon@irm.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glardon
authors.affiliation: Division of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: michael.stoffel@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Stoffel
mesh_terms: D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes; D002417:Cattle; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D016272:Occupational Health; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Anatomy; Bubalus bubalis; Diagnostic imaging; Skull; Stunning