Use of Refractometer

[sdeilus]

I use a refractometer to check the SPG (Specific Gravity) of my dog's (Raine) urine. Over three years ago Raine was diagnosed with kidney disease from lyme. At Dr. Jeff's advise I started checking her urine after this kidney diagnosis. I check her urine everyday and keep a log of the SPG numbers in her journal. Checking her urine every day gives me an early warning sign when things aren't going well with her kidneys. I can also see any trends up or down that are going on with her numbers. I do blood work every six months, it's expensive to do and it's only every six months and a lot can change during those six months. So the refractometer helps me to see early warning signs of changes happening with Raine's kidneys. It is also a measure of how much or how little water she is drinking.

I also check the urine of my other two dogs. Again I log the SPG numbers into their journals (which I keep for each dog), to watch for any trends up or down. I'm bound and determined to catch any issues early that may start to happen with the other two dogs.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Fantastic Sue! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences.

Which refractometer do you use?

 

[novasimpson]

Hi Sue!

I was confused about how to use the refractometer. I was reading the directions and it says to make sure the distilled water and sample are same temperature...? Do you allow the pee to come to room temp before testing? or have you found this unnecessary?

Thank you @sdeilus for the information!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Nova!

You don't need to bring her urine down to room temp. It makes a tiny difference, but not significant enough to make a difference.

 

[novasimpson]

Thank you for the clarification Dr Jeff!

 

[sdeilus]

The name of the refractometer is Anpro Beer wort and wine refractometer. Dr. Jeff I believe was the one who recommended and I got it on Amazon.

Sue