New Member - Mr. Nile

[slantedlamp]

Hi everyone! Brand new to this journey (diagnosed 9/23/25) and am glad to have forums like these for education and support.

I got Mr. Nile when he was 3 years old. 6 years later at 9 (almost 10!) years old, he was diagnosed with diabetes after a 3 month run on prednisolone treating CMhm (Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum) that he must’ve got back in his stray days.

While doing tests to ensure he could taper down on pred, they were noticing a consistnet high glucose level and took that into further testing for diabetes. After finally getting off steroids, we got the call literally 2 days later that he is indeed diabetic. There were virtually no clinical signs outside of maybe a little increase of urination.

We start insulin this week. 1 unit of Glargine every 12 hours. & we get a FreeStyle Libre in 2 weeks (would love to know thoughts on this as I am still learning and fear this may be an expensive option). I have confidence he will take it like a champ!

However, we have been struggling with his food. We found out just over a week ago, and immediately started to make changes to his food to get him on a low-carb, wet food diet and he is not taking it well. He is a kibble lover and typically refuses to eat otherwise and has been eating the same kibble for 6 years. I’ve even tried in the past to switch him to healthier kibble and he wouldn’t stand for it. Appalled i’d even try, really.

We have tried 3 different foods (small, gradual portions & mixed in with his original food) and he has despised 2 of them and only tolerated 1 of them (& the one he tolerates he only will nibble at). He doesn’t even really seem too interested in his original food anymore either after all these new food trial runs. I really want to make sure we tackle this food issue as we take on insulin to make sure he’s eating properly (Tips, insight, etc. appreciated).

Despite all of this, Mr. Nile is full of life, playful, cuddly, and ready to take on the challenge

 

[CORKY]

Welcome to FDMB, Nile is gorgeous,, It is great you are a step ahead by testing with the Libre, it's a great start, you need to know Nile's BG before every shot, my Corky was diagnosed at 10 years old, he is now 12, I adopted him when he was only 8 weeks old, and he also grew up on MeauMix, kibbles free feeding, when I found this Forum, I was advised that cats cannot digest carbs, and kibble have approximately between 20-30% carbs, so as a diabetic cat, if we continue to feed the kibbles, we can never get Nile to reach remission, aside from the fact the his pancreas will continue to damage,, you did not mention where are you, if you are in the US, most members here enjoy the Fancy Feast Pates between 0-10% carbs, although many members use up to 5%, Fancy Feast are US made and regulated, so no waste goes into the food, and they smell delicious and many flavors to choose from, some flake food and chunky foods, below is a Drs. food List, the third column will show the Carb %, there are also many other brands to choose from, as long as you stay between 0-10%, and a carb calculator as well you take the nutrient %s to figure out the carbs, the Dry matter carb is the correct one to look for.
Also you might want to try putting small amounts of the wet food little by little and at the same time less kibbles and place Miles on a schedule, diabetic cats should eat at least 2-3-or 4 times a day, two main meals and the rest small snacks or meal, also making sure the snack or treats are also low carbs, I will tag a member that can also assist you with Glargine

https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
Cat Food Nutrition Calculator | Elizabeth C Scheyder
@Wendy&Neko
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

 

[squeem3]

@Staci & Ivy can give you more info on the Libre meter.

Here are tips on diet transition: Transitioning your cat from dry to wet food

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Hello and welcome, Mr. Nile is adorable

If you’re interested in using a Libre CGM for your kitty, I will attach a document we have compiled with lots of information on how to use one.

I prefer a Libre 3 instead of Libre 2, because it does not require you to physically scan your kitty which becomes very tiresome and sometimes the kitty gets annoyed.
You will need a phone to leave at home with your kitty at all times and it needs to be within 33 feet of your cat to get a reading and send it through an app to your phone.

You do not need a data plan so there are no expenses for a phone that stays at home with kitty.
You just need Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to send the data through an app from kitty’s phone to your phone, if you’re using the Libre 3.
(note, this does not work with a Libre 2).
You can use an older phone, just check the Abbott website for compatibility.

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...ucose-monitors-cgms-for-diabetic-cats.301950/

Please let me know if you have any questions. I am happy to help.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Welcome to FDMB!

There aren't very many dry foods that are low in carbs but you have a couple of options. Young Again Zero Carb (it's not zero carb but it's low) and Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein are both acceptable for our kibble addicted diabetic cats. There are also air dried and freeze dried raw foods (ZiwiPeak and Stella & Chewys) that are also possibilities. To be honest, canned food is nutritionally better in that cats do not have a huge thirst drive. In the wild, they get most of their liquid from eating live prey. This is an important consideration because water is very good for the kidneys; and diabetes is hard on the kidneys. Kidney disease is a common problem as cats age. So, if you need to get Mr. Nile to eat (which is also critical), make sure you're adding water to his food or he's otherwise well hydrated.

I'd encourage you to take a look at the sticky notes at the top of the Lantus board. They contain a great deal of information, especially about our dosing methods.

I'd also encourage you to take a look at this post on helping us to help you. It provides instructions on how to set up a spreadsheet and your signature. The spreadsheet will allow you to track your cat's progress and we can follow along and offer input. The signature provides basic information about your cat so we don't pester you by asking the same questions repeatedly.

Please let us know how we can help.