The American Animal Hospital Association released its 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, addressing canine diabetes in a separate document from feline.
Previous AAHA guidelines covered both species in a single document. The new resource focuses exclusively on dogs, from initial diagnosis through long-term monitoring.
Why dogs and cats now get separate guidelines
Dogs with diabetes mellitus have permanent beta cell loss causing absolute insulin deficiency, requiring lifelong insulin therapy. Feline diabetes differs significantly, according to the guidelines.
Most dogs respond well to insulin treatment and can maintain good quality of life with few or no clinical signs, according to the guidelines.
Continuous glucose monitors and once-daily insulin dosing
The 2026 resource incorporates continuous glucose monitors and long-acting, peakless insulin formulations that may allow once-daily dosing in some dogs.
"The care of our doggy diabetics has changed dramatically over the last few years, with the advent of inexpensive continuous glucose monitors and a new understanding of how to [use] long-acting insulins," said Dr. Audrey K. Cook, a member of the AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines task force. "Practitioners will be better positioned to optimize care for diabetic dogs and support the well-being of both pets and their caretakers."
The guidelines focus on controlling clinical signs rather than tight glycemic control. Tight control is typically not achievable with twice-daily insulin, so management targets the absence of polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia, plus stable body weight. The guidelines define that as well-controlled diabetes.
Client conversations about lifelong commitment
The resource emphasizes honest conversations between veterinary teams and pet owners about treatment goals, expectations, and the commitment lifelong care requires.
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Where to find the new guidelines
The new canine-specific guidelines are live on AAHA's website. The resource is built around the fact that dogs require lifelong insulin, which shapes how the guidelines approach dosing, monitoring, and client counseling.
The guidelines are available at aaha.org.