# Carotid arteries in cattle

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carotid-arteries-in-cattle/566214>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 3, 2011, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carotid-arteries-in-cattle/566214 "2011-01-03T08:41:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Puzzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@Puzzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Puzzler)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carotid-arteries-in-cattle/566214/1 "2011-01-03T08:41:25Z")

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I am in a web-debate regarding religion (specifically, the Jewish religion).  
My counterpart is claiming something that seems rather unbelievable to me. According to him, kosher animals (e.g., cows, sheep, and goats) have only one carotid artery, whereas non-kosher animals (e.g., horses and pigs) have two carotid arteries. His claim is that for this reason the Jewish slaughter method is humane.  
To the best of my knowledge (which, I must admit, is minimal), all mammals share similar structure of dual arteries and veins. However, I am unable to find a reference for this on line – almost everything deals with humans.

Is there a good cite (for either option) on this issue?

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carotid-arteries-in-cattle/566214/2 "2011-01-03T08:57:31Z")

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No. Ruminants like cattle have carotid ateries that split off of the aorta higher up than say, humans, do, but they still have two carotid arteries in their neck. Shechita is still relatively humane, though, because the shochet is supposed to cut the esophogus, trachea, both carotid atreries, and both jugular veins at the same time.

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**Author:** ![Puzzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@Puzzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Puzzler)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carotid-arteries-in-cattle/566214/3 "2011-01-03T13:00:07Z")

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Thank you.  
However, I wouldn’t accept a reply saying “A man on an internet forum said so”, and I don’t think he will either.

What I’d like to see is some solid reference to this issue.

Thanks in advance!

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**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carotid-arteries-in-cattle/566214/4 "2011-01-03T13:39:49Z")

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Ok… I found an anatomy reference book by Google. Search “Bovine anatomy: an illustrated text” by Klaus-Dieter Budras. Search in the box for “carotid”. It will take you to pages that have that term. Written explanations saying that ruminants have left and right carotid arteries.

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**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carotid-arteries-in-cattle/566214/5 "2011-01-03T13:41:59Z")

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BTW, this may be “appeal to authority”, but tell him a veterinarian that does necropsies (autopsies for animals) says he is incorrect, and that all those animals mentioned do have carotids.

But I’ve pointed you to a solid reference, if you cannot/do not have access to a library with a book on ruminant anatomy.

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**Author:** ![Puzzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@Puzzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Puzzler)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carotid-arteries-in-cattle/566214/6 "2011-01-03T15:40:49Z")

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> [@KarlGrenze](#):
>
> Ok… I found an anatomy reference book by Google. Search “Bovine anatomy: an illustrated text” by Klaus-Dieter Budras. Search in the box for “carotid”. It will take you to pages that have that term. Written explanations saying that ruminants have left and right carotid arteries.

Thank you - this is what I needed!