If your dog has diabetes, or ever gets diagnosed with it, the care playbook just changed. On September 1 the American Animal Hospital Association released its 2026 Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, and for the first time it split the advice into separate documents for dogs and cats because the disease behaves so differently in each species.
The guidelines walk veterinarians through diagnosis, starting treatment, day to day monitoring, troubleshooting rough patches, and diet. They also make room for tools that were rare a decade ago: continuous glucose monitors and long-acting insulin options, both of which can mean steadier numbers and fewer emergency swings for your dog. AAHA calls the update one of its most requested, and the full document is free at aaha.org/diabetes-management-dogs.
What this means for your dog
If your dog is diabetic, expect your vet’s approach to line up with these recommendations on insulin timing, feeding schedules, and how often glucose gets checked. Consistency is what keeps diabetic dogs stable, and this document gives your care team one current reference instead of a patchwork of advice.
If your dog is not diabetic, weight is the biggest lever you control. Dogs that carry extra pounds face higher odds of the disease, so our guide to spotting the early signs your dog is overweight is worth a quick read. The classic red flags to know: drinking more than usual, urinating more often, and eating normally while still losing weight. Catching diabetes early makes it far more manageable, so when something feels off, a vet visit beats waiting.