What's New in Dog Science: The Findings Worth Knowing From the Past Year

A lot of dog advice online hasn’t changed in years, and much of it is still right. But some things really did change in the past year: new FDA-approved medicines, the first standardized guidelines for dog dementia, three new AKC breeds, a parasite crossing into the U.S., and studies that change how fear and language in dogs are understood. Here is the short version of each, with a link to the full article, as of November 2026.

Safety: screwworm reached U.S. dogs

New World screwworm, a fly whose maggots infest wounds, was confirmed in the U.S. in June 2026, and Arizona’s first case, on October 28, was a dog. As of that date there had been 71 confirmed U.S. animal cases in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, though USDA still rates the risk as very low. In Mexico, dogs are the second most affected species. The FDA has authorized several treatments for dogs, and in September 2026 the first product to prevent it. Read: screwworm in dogs, what to check and who to call

Longevity: the pill that isn’t here yet

The FDA has accepted two of three sections for Loyal’s LOY-002, a daily chewable for dogs 10 and older weighing at least 14 lb: a “reasonable expectation” that it works, and its safety data. Manufacturing is still open, expected in 2027, and no lifespan result exists yet. Meanwhile, the Dog Aging Project found that the blood markers linked to dying sooner are strikingly similar in dogs and people, an association rather than proof of cause. Read: is there really a pill that helps dogs live longer?

New medicines

• Tessie (May 2026): the first FDA-approved drug for both noise aversion and separation anxiety. On New Year’s Eve, owners rated it good or excellent in 54% of dogs against 35% on placebo; drowsiness is common, and U.S. availability is expected around mid-2027. Read more
• Numelvi (February 2026): a once-daily itch pill for allergic dogs from 6 months of age. In its main trial, 23% of dogs met a strict success bar against 7% on placebo; field safety data covers 28 days. Read more
• Laverdia (full approval, January 2026): the first pill for canine lymphoma, given at home. It delayed progression by a median of about two weeks in its trial, with strict handling rules. Read more
• KBroVet (full approval, January 2026): an FDA-approved potassium bromide product for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy, an old medicine with a new, quality-controlled label. Read more

Dog dementia gets its first standardized guidelines

A 12-expert working group published the first standardized guidelines for diagnosing and following canine cognitive dysfunction, suggesting behavior screening at senior visits from about age 7. An upbeat-titled fecal transplant pilot, on the other hand, had only 6 dogs with complete results. Read: the new dementia guidelines

Reading your dog: two new studies

• Fear is common, disorders are not: a study of 43,517 dogs found owners saw at least mild-to-moderate fear in 84% of them, in at least one everyday situation. It wasn’t a diagnosis, and it didn’t ask about separation. Read more
• Some dogs learn words by eavesdropping: a rare group of “Gifted Word Learner” dogs learned toy names just by overhearing their owners talk, like 18-month-old children. Most dogs don’t. Read more

Three new breeds, and a fourth on December 30

The AKC fully recognized the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka, the Basset Fauve de Bretagne and the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier on January 1, 2026, and the Peruvian Inca Orchid follows on December 30. Read: meet the new breeds

Also worth knowing

• A vaccine that treats Chagas in dogs: in a randomized field trial in Yucatán, Mexico, published in December 2025, 31 dogs already infected with the Chagas parasite received either a protein vaccine or saline; the vaccine lowered the parasite burden and prevented or stopped heart (ECG) changes over 6 months, and was safe. It’s small, it treats rather than prevents, and it isn’t available to buy. The AKC Canine Health Foundation named it one of eight semifinalists for its 2026 Canine Health Discovery of the Year, and a larger trial is underway.
• Golden Retriever genes and behavior: a Cambridge study of about 1,300 Golden Retrievers (November 2025) found 12 genes linked to their behavior that are also implicated in human temperament, mental health or cognition. These are associations, not genes that “cause” specific behaviors.
• Older fathers, more new mutations: a study of 390 parent–puppy trios from 43 breeds (2025) found older sires pass on more new DNA changes; a puppy still carries only a few dozen on average. It’s a breeding question, not a reason to worry about an individual pet.

Everything here is current as of November 2026. If you want to start with something practical today, the two-minute noise fear test and separation anxiety test turn worries into specific questions for your vet.