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Diabetes in Dogs

By the Dog Health Handbook team · Updated · Fact-checked against current veterinary references (see sources)

Key takeaways

  • Most diabetic dogs lack insulin and need insulin injections for life.
  • Main signs: drinking and urinating more, a bigger appetite and weight loss.
  • Diagnosis: blood glucose of 200 mg/dL or more plus glucose in the urine.
  • The goal is controlling signs, not perfect blood sugar.
  • Most treated dogs have a good quality of life.

Table of Contents

Research Types Causes Signs Diagnosis Treatment Complications Outlook FAQ Sources

Diabetes and Blood Sugar Quicklinks

Diabetes Causes Signs Treatment Diet Ketoacidosis (DKA) Low Blood Sugar Life Expectancy Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes in dogs (diabetes mellitus) is a lasting high blood sugar caused by the loss of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, sometimes combined with reduced sensitivity to insulin.1 Almost all diabetic dogs have an insulin-deficiency form of diabetes similar to type 1 diabetes in people, so they need insulin injections for life.2,3,4 It usually affects middle-aged and older dogs, and in a UK study of more than 480,000 dogs about 1 in 400 had it.1,5 The main signs are drinking and urinating more, a bigger appetite and weight loss.6,7 Vets diagnose it when a dog with typical signs has a blood glucose of 200 mg/dL or higher together with glucose in the urine.6 Treatment is insulin, consistent meals and regular monitoring. The 2026 American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) guidelines say the main goal is to control the signs rather than keep blood sugar perfectly normal.8,9 With treatment, most diabetic dogs "can live a good quality of life with few or no clinical signs."10

Get emergency veterinary care if a diabetic dog:

  • Stops eating, vomits, seems weak or depressed, or breathes fast. These can be signs of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is life-threatening.11,12
  • Trembles, wobbles, collapses or has a seizure, which can mean low blood sugar13
  • May have been given too much insulin14,15

See your vet soon if your dog is drinking and urinating much more than usual or losing weight while eating well.6,16

What the Research and Guidelines Say

  • New guidelines for dogs. AAHA published its first diabetes guidelines just for dogs in August 2026. They add newer long-acting insulins that some dogs can take once a day, and endorse continuous glucose monitors.8,3,17
  • How common. A UK VetCompass study found diabetes in 0.26% of dogs each year. Odds rose in dogs over 8, in obese dogs and in unspayed females.5
  • Insulin makes the difference. In the same study, dogs started on insulin had a far lower risk of death, and only 7 of 40 dogs not started on insulin lived more than a week, and most deaths in the study were euthanasia.5
  • Shared risk with owners. A 2020 Swedish study found owners of diabetic dogs had a 38% higher risk of type 2 diabetes, possibly from shared exercise and eating habits.18

Types of Diabetes in Dogs

  • Insulin-deficiency diabetes: by far the most common. The insulin-producing beta cells are lost through immune damage, cell degeneration or repeated pancreatitis, and the loss is permanent.1,2
  • Insulin-resistance diabetes: hormones block insulin, for example during the heat cycle (diestrus) or pregnancy in unspayed females, or from some hormone-producing tumors.2,19
  • Type 2 diabetes, the common form in people, rarely occurs in dogs.2,20

Diabetes insipidus is a different disease that affects water balance, not blood sugar. See diabetes insipidus in dogs.21

Causes and Risk Factors

Risk factors include older age, obesity, being an unspayed female, pancreatitis, Cushing's disease and long-term steroid medicines.5,22,1 Some breeds are at higher risk, including Australian Terriers, Samoyeds, Border Terriers and West Highland White Terriers, but any breed can be affected.1,5,23,9 See what causes diabetes in dogs.

Signs

  • Drinking much more water and urinating more, sometimes with accidents6,16
  • A bigger appetite but weight loss6,7
  • Cloudy eyes from cataracts24,9
  • Repeated urinary or skin infections24,9

See signs of diabetes in dogs.

Diagnosis

Your vet will test blood and urine. Diabetes is confirmed when blood glucose is 200 mg/dL or higher and glucose is found in the urine.6,8 Baseline blood work, a urinalysis and often a urine culture check for other problems that affect treatment.6

Treatment

  • Insulin injections: needed for life. No pill can replace insulin in dogs, because they have lost their insulin-producing cells.4,25,19
  • Consistent meals: the same food at the same times each day, matched to insulin injections13,24
  • Monitoring: watching thirst, urination, appetite and weight, plus glucose curves or continuous glucose monitors26,27
  • Spaying unspayed females, and treating conditions such as infections or Cushing's disease28,9

Getting a dog well regulated can take a month or more.2 See dog diabetes treatment and diabetic dog diet.

Complications

  • Cataracts: very common. In an older study of 200 diabetic dogs, about half developed them within about 6 months of diagnosis.29,30
  • Low blood sugar from too much insulin. See low blood sugar in dogs.13
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), an emergency. See DKA in dogs.11
  • Infections of the bladder and skin9,4

Outlook

AAHA says the prognosis is "favorable with proper treatment and monitoring."1 In the UK study, median survival after diagnosis was 15.6 months, or 20.2 months for dogs that survived the first week. Many early deaths were euthanasia at or soon after diagnosis.5 Remission is rare in dogs and is mainly seen in unspayed females whose diabetes started during the heat cycle.19,31 See diabetic dog life expectancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can dogs get diabetes?

Yes. It's one of the most common hormone diseases in dogs, mostly in middle-aged and older dogs.

Can a dog recover from diabetes?

Rarely. Most dogs need insulin for life, though some unspayed females improve after spaying.

Can you treat a diabetic dog without insulin?

No. Insulin is the only effective treatment for dogs.

Is diabetes in dogs painful?

Diabetes itself isn't usually described as painful, but complications such as DKA and eye inflammation from cataracts can make dogs very unwell.

Is it worth treating a diabetic dog?

For most families, yes. Treated dogs usually have a good quality of life.

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Sources and further reading

This article was rewritten and fact-checked on October 23, 2026 against current veterinary references and specialist guidelines:

  1. AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs Task Force. Section 1: Overview of Diabetes Mellitus in Dogs. 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, 2026.
  2. Weir M, Williams K, Downing R, Ward E. Diabetes Mellitus in Dogs: Overview. VCA Animal Hospitals, updated January 2024.
  3. Louis J. AAHA releases new diabetes management guidelines for dogs. dvm360, 2026.
  4. University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center. Diabetes. University of Missouri Small Animal Internal Medicine.
  5. Heeley AM, O'Neill DG, Davison LJ, Church DB, Corless EK, Brodbelt DC. Diabetes mellitus in dogs attending UK primary-care practices: frequency, risk factors and survival. Canine Medicine and Genetics, 2020.
  6. AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs Task Force. Section 2: Recognizing and Diagnosing DM in Dogs. 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, 2026.
  7. Bruyette D. Disorders of the Pancreas in Dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual (Dog Owners), updated May 2026.
  8. Bugbee A, Rucinsky R, Alvarez E, Cook A, Lathan P, Panning C. 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs. American Animal Hospital Association, 2026.
  9. Buishand F. Diabetes Mellitus in Dogs and Cats. Merck Veterinary Manual, updated May 2026.
  10. AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs Task Force. Conclusion. 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, 2026.
  11. AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs Task Force. Section 3: Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Dogs. 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, 2026.
  12. Hunter T, Williams K, Downing R. Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals, updated June 2023.
  13. AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs Task Force. Section 8: Client Education. 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, 2026.
  14. Coile C. Hypoglycemia in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments. American Kennel Club, 2024.
  15. Park JH, An JH, Kim SH, Choi HS, Kim TH, Oh YI, Seo KW, Youn HY. Case report: Fatal insulin overdose in a dog with type 1 diabetes mellitus: characteristics and successful management. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2023.
  16. American Veterinary Medical Association. Diabetic Pets. AVMA owner brochure, revised 2010.
  17. Castillo T. AAHA updates canine diabetes management guidelines. Veterinary Practice News, 2026.
  18. Uppsala University. Diabetes in dogs may indicate elevated risk of type 2 diabetes in their owners. Uppsala University News, 2020 (on Delicano RA, et al., BMJ, 2020).
  19. Behrend E, Holford A, Lathan P, Rucinsky R, Schulman R. 2018 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 2018.
  20. Corradini S, Fracassi F. Canine diabetes mellitus. Veterinary Focus (IVIS), 2017.
  21. Greco DS, Kritchevsky JE. Disorders of the Pituitary Gland in Dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual (Dog Owners), updated September 2024.
  22. Royal Veterinary College. VetCompass study explores frequency, risk factors and survival in dogs with diabetes mellitus. RVC VetCompass News, 2020.
  23. Fall T, Hamlin HH, Hedhammar A, Kampe O, Egenvall A. Diabetes mellitus in a population of 180,000 insured dogs: incidence, survival, and breed distribution. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2007.
  24. Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center. Managing Canine Diabetes. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
  25. AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs Task Force. Section 4: Insulin Treatment. 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, 2026.
  26. AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs Task Force. Section 5: Monitoring Dogs Receiving Insulin. 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, 2026.
  27. Patterson C. Continuous Glucose Monitor Use in Small Animal Medicine. Today's Veterinary Practice, 2026.
  28. AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs Task Force. Section 7: Troubleshooting in Diabetic Dogs. 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, 2026.
  29. Lee D. Lifting the Veil: Canine Cataracts and Cataract Surgery. MSPCA-Angell, 2026.
  30. Veterinary Practice. Treatment and management of canine diabetic cataract. Veterinary Practice.
  31. Daminet S. How I Treat Diabetes Mellitus. EVC Voorjaarsdagen, Amsterdam (IVIS), 2008.

About this article

Last updated : fully rewritten using the 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs, the Merck Veterinary Manual, Cornell, VCA and UK and Swedish population studies, plus International Veterinary Information Service (IVIS) proceedings and research published 2022 to 2026.

This page is for general information and is not a substitute for an exam by your veterinarian.