A recent study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that BoviLab is a useful and practical tool for improving the transition period in dairy cows.
During the research conducted in 2023, 297 blood samples from 261 Holstein cows were taken and analysed using BoviLab. These cows were divided into four lactation stages: 14 days before calving, 3 days in lactation, 11 days in lactation, and 14 days in lactation.
The study shows that the correlations from the blood samples were generally very strong for most parameters. BoviLab is useful as a portable blood analysis device to analyse blood on-site on dairy farms. This can be valuable for faster diagnosing metabolic disorders and dysfunction in transition cows. BoviLab can improve diagnostic capabilities for veterinarians and dairy farmers and reduce the time to treatment. Additionally, it can provide insight into proactive management and changes in rations.
The researchers note that the resources to diagnose metabolic disorders such as ketosis, hypocalcemia, and fatty liver are limited. There is a need for a user-friendly, fast and compact device that can analyse whole blood samples for multiple parameters simultaneously without centrifuging the blood. BoviLab is presented as a device that meets these requirements. The entire report about the study can be found here.
