The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of increased propionate status on insulin sensitivity in dairy heifers. Eleven Holstein heifers, 8 to 10 mo of age and 250 to 360 kg, were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments and given a continuous IV infusion of either sodium propionate (PRO; 61.6 mmol/h; n = 5) or saline (CON; n = 6) at a matching infusion volume for 5 d. Heifers rarely have compromised insulin sensitivity; however, they were used in this study as a preliminary screening tool to help direct future work in populations generally recognized as having heightened insulin insensitivity. On d 5, all animals underwent a hyperglycemic clamp where blood glucose levels were increased to twice basal levels for measures of insulin response. Plasma SCFA and hyperglycemic clamp data were analyzed using a mixed-effect model. Plasma propionate concentrations were significantly elevated at 2, 10, 24, and 72 h post initiation of infusion in PRO animals (P < 0.01), with a peak at 10 h and declining concentrations thereafter. At 96 h there was no difference between propionate concentrations of PRO and CON groups (P = 0.443). There were no differences in daily plasma acetate or β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations seen between treatments for any time points within the experimental period (P > 0.10). There were no differences between initial insulin, initial glucose, or plateau glucose between PRO and CON cows (P > 0.05). Plateau insulin concentrations in CON animals were significantly greater than those in PRO animals (249.4 ± 25.1 vs 123.9 ± 35.8; P = 0.018) and there was a trend for an increased insulin sensitivity index (ISI) in PRO cows compared with CON cows (P = 0.06). The results of this study indicate that animals have ample capacity to clear surplus propionate. Based on the trend for changes in ISI and the significant shift in plateau insulin concentrations, additional work is needed to understand how propionate metabolism influences downstream changes in insulin signaling.