Diabetes management can look very different in cats and dogs. The new 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines highlight that feline diabetes more closely resembles type 2 diabetes, while canine diabetes is characterized by permanent insulin deficiency.
Monitoring also differs, with continuous glucose monitors preferred for cats and glucose curves still appropriate for dogs. Remission is relatively common in cats but rare in dogs, reinforcing the importance of species-specific treatment and follow-up.
Source: AAHA Trends, October 2, 2026. Link. Age is a factor for both cats and dogs is obesity.
Many newly diagnosed, stable cats may now be candidates for SGLT2 inhibitors instead of automatically starting insulin, while diabetic dogs require insulin from diagnosis.”
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