AAHA Previews 2026 One Health Parasitology Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has released a preview of its 2026 One Health Guidelines, aimed at emerging concerns in canine and feline parasitology.

The document signals an update to how small-animal practices should approach parasite prevention, diagnosis and client communication. AAHA frames the guidance under a One Health model, which places pet parasite control alongside human health risk rather than as a standalone veterinary task.

What do the 2026 guidelines cover?

The preview addresses emerging parasitology concerns in dogs and cats. AAHA has not yet published the full guideline text; the organization released the preview ahead of the complete 2026 edition.

The One Health framing means the guidelines connect companion-animal parasites to broader public-health exposure. That linkage typically pulls zoonotic risk, environmental persistence and client education into routine exam-room conversations.

For practitioners, the takeaway is that the 2026 update will refresh AAHA's parasitology recommendations with an explicit human-health dimension.

Why does One Health matter for parasite control?

Parasites of dogs and cats can affect people as well as animals. Guideline programs that adopt a One Health structure ask clinics to consider transmission routes that cross species boundaries.

AAHA publishes guidelines on a rotating basis for companion-animal practice areas. The 2026 parasitology edition follows that cycle and targets emerging concerns, which indicates the content responds to changes in parasite prevalence, resistance or geographic spread.

Clinics should expect the final document to inform protocols for testing intervals, preventive products and zoonotic-risk counseling.

What should practices watch for?

The full 2026 AAHA One Health Guidelines have not yet shipped. The preview invites attention to the complete release, which will carry the specific recommendations practitioners need.

Until then, practices can review current AAHA parasitology materials and prepare to benchmark existing protocols against the new edition when it publishes.

The complete guidelines will determine exactly what changes at the exam table in 2026.