Jenne De Koster

Insulin Resistance in Dairy Cows

Glucose is the molecule that drives milk production, and insulin plays a pivotal role in the glucose metabolism of dairy cows. The effect of insulin on the glucose metabolism is regulated by the secretion of insulin by the pancreas and the insulin sensitivity of the skeletal muscles, the adipose tissue, and the liver. Insulin resistance may develop as part of physiologic (pregnancy and lactation) and pathologic processes, which may manifest as decreased insulin sensitivity or decreased insulin responsiveness. A good knowledge of the normal physiology of insulin is needed to measure the in vivo insulin resistance of dairy cows.

Quantifying bovine insulin: conversion of units

Xunta de Galicia (10MRU261004PR); Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte (Beca FPU AP2010-0013)

Interpretation and visualisation of data from dairy herds

Vets often use key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the actual performance status of a dairy herd. Basic knowledge of data analysis is necessary to interpret these KPIs correctly, but unfortunately vets often lack the training and knowledge required to do this. This article aims to make vets aware of common data interpretation errors and discusses four data misinterpretation pitfalls – variation, momentum, lag and bias – as well as introduces the concept of data visualisation, such as the use of graphs and charts, to help vets avoid these pitfalls.