Digital Transformation of Agriculture and Animal Science
Authors: Martina Jezik (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna) , Peter M. Roth (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
In veterinary medicine, urine specific gravity (USG) is among the most commonly used indicators of renal function, typically assessed by means of manual refractometers. However, accurate readings require a trained eye and adequate lighting conditions, limiting their use outside of clinical settings. This study investigates whether digital refractometers can serve as a reliable alternative, and in particular whether pet owners are able to use them independently for continuous at-home monitoring of their animal’s USG. With a mean deviation of 0.0014 ± 0.0008 between devices, the results demonstrate that digital refractometers yield measurements comparable to those of manual devices, paving the way for broader at-home use by pet owners.
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How to Cite: Jezik, M. & Roth, P. (2026) “Measuring the Specific Gravity of Urine of Dogs Using Digital Refractometers”, Proceedings of the Austrian Symposium on AI, Robotics, and Vision. 3(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.34749/3061-1466.2026.39