10/08/2026
Tulip’s 🌷 Vet Visit Update: Great Progress & Next Steps.
Paul took Tulip to the Small Animal Hospital on the Wirral today for a scheduled check-up on her healing wound, and overall, it was a very positive visit!
Remember that amongst other issues Tulip 🌷 has a rare condition called Feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis (a rare skin condition) as well as mild to severe allergies and feline atopic skin syndrome (FASS), a cleft lip, MRSA, and an unnamed rare ulcerative disease which affects her internally. Her veterinary team are specialist consultants and teach other vets. It means that when Tulip 🌷 sees them ..She sees the best and this is why the very long journey is worth it.
The Journey There & Back
Given the 1.5 to 2-hour drive, travel is always tough on Tulip, and she often gets very stressed in a normal MDC carrier. We have tried a queen carrier in the past but still had p**p a geddon by the time we got there. Today there were many delays but luckily we traveled using one of the larger hospital-style cages with a litter tray and puppy pads inside. Its basically 2 MDC cages built as one long cage but with 2 top hatch openings and a central area we can place a grid wall if needed. We placed a cat litter at one end and puppy pads at the other.
On the way there: It worked brilliantly! Even though she p**ped outside the litter tray on the puppy pads and sat in the cat litter tray 🤦♀️😂 , the extra space allowed her to move away and stay completely clean, saving us from having to wash her down at the hospital which is our normal routine and upsetting for her.
On the way back: She decided she wanted to watch Paul drive from the back of the car, p**ped right where she was standing, and sat straight back down in it to keep watching him! So legs and belly covered in p**p 😭 She's has just had a bath 🤦♀️ and now exploring the shed with Paul to cheer her up.
But regardless of the mess on the way home, transferring her to a normal MDC cat carrier before going inside the hospital made the transit much smoother overall. Of course this was done with all doors/windows closed and knowing that Tulip 🌷 allows us to lift her in and out. Out of our 19 rescue cats , we would only try this with 6 of them 😆.
The Vet's Assessment
The vet was absolutely made up with Tulip’s progress:
Wound Healing: The wound has shrunk significantly down to roughly the size of a £2 coin. While it was hidden under regrown fur, shaving the area showed a much cleaner, healthier-looking surface with just a bit of hard scar tissue/scab remaining. We had thought it was a new wound but it isn't. No skin grafts needed ! Hurrah!
Other Areas: We checked her all over—including the bridge of her nose, paws, and bottom where she’s had past flare-ups—and every single area is completely clear.
No Infection: The wound is currently free of infection, and she’s been doing well without a cone/collar for the last two months.
I'm just going to repeat that !!!
🎊The wound is currently free of infection🎊🎊
The Cause & New Treatment Strategy
Past CT scans showed no foreign objects/shrapnel under the skin, and her allergy tests confirm this isn't a new allergic reaction.
The vet believes the remaining irritation is largely psychological/behavioral—almost like phantom limb sensation. Because the area bothered her for so long, she has developed a compulsive habit of over-grooming it, which prevents the final bit from fully closing.
Here is our action plan moving forward:
Steroids & Antibiotics: We are restarting a short steroid course (a 3-day loading dose of 5 mg daily, then moving to 5 mg every other day) to give her an extra boost alongside her ongoing antibiotics.
New Medication
Topiramate (anticonvulsant) 25mg.... we are starting her on a medication (often used as an anticonvulsant/nerve agent) designed to reduce localized sensation. The goal is to dull the phantom "itch/irritation" sensation so she stops over-grooming and unlearns the habit, giving the skin a chance to finish healing.
It will take 7–10 days for the new medication to arrive as its not a common medication, after which we will give it a month to work. We should know in about 6 weeks if it's having the desired effect. Its £300 a box !! 🤦♀️😬 yes Cathrine will start a raffle 😀 so watch out for it.
Long-Term Outlook
If this medication works, it spares her from further procedures. Surgery to remove the damaged tissue remains an absolute last resort down the line; given her history with MRSA, creating a larger surgical wound carries risks we’d prefer to avoid if possible.
The vet was very reassuring and has seen this approach succeed with other cats in similar situations.
We will continue with the Clindamycin (Antirobe; antibiotic) 25mg for 2 more months together with Prednisolone 5mg (steroid; anti-itch and anti-inflammatory), the Hypochlorous acid (Contego; antiseptic) and Cetirizine (Anti Histamine).
We're feeling positive, hopeful, and relieved by today's news! Thank-you so much to everyone who has helped us achieve this, from helpful advice and support or donations to pay her vet bills ... now way over £5,000, to buying her specialist diet. You are our heroes ❤️ your support has kept us going and we cannot thank you enough.
I've attached a photo of the cage style we used .. as you can pull the side door up, you can place your other mdc carrier here and gently push your cat into the carrier without chancing them getting out. If you cover the carrier , most cats will go straight in. Whether you are in a car, home or at the vets always ensure windows and doors are closed.
