Tuppence and the Spay Cone of Shame

Tuppence’s Big Day: A Long-Awaited Spay

Tuppence was born in June 2019 and joined our family in August of that year. From the beginning, she has brought so much joy (and a bit of chaos!) into our lives. But, her spay operation has been long overdue—not by choice, but due to circumstances beyond our control.

Just as we were preparing to schedule her spay, COVID hit. Like so many other plans during that time, it had to be put on indefinite hold. As the pandemic eased, a new challenge emerged: Tuppence began experiencing severe skin irritation and chronic ear infections. Our focus shifted to managing her health, which meant a careful diet and regular medication became our priority.

Should We Even Get Her Fixed?

As Tuppence got older, the decision to go ahead with the spay became increasingly nerve-wracking. We knew we had no intention of breeding her, but we still questioned whether it was truly necessary to put her through the discomfort of surgery. By then, we had become quite adept at managing her heat cycles, so that part wasn’t much of a concern anymore. Still, after a lot of research and discussion with our vet, we came to understand that spaying was the best choice for her long-term health and well-being. That decision was reinforced when a friend’s unspayed dog suddenly needed an emergency spay due to a serious infection—an all-too-common condition in older, unspayed females. The emergency operation was not only life-saving but also extremely expensive. With Tuppence’s skin issues finally under control, we knew the time had come.

Best Vet in the City (IMHO)

We’re incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful veterinary clinic staffed by two amazing vets who know Tuppence well and all of the staff are friendly and helpful. Their care and compassion have helped us through many ups and downs—including saying goodbye to our beloved Jazzy, Ayla, and Reg. (We miss you all every day.)

Tuppence had a pre-op blood test to ensure everything looked good, and thankfully, it was a green light. On surgery day, we dropped her off early, then tried our best to distract ourselves while the hours crawled by. At around 4 p.m., we received the call to come get her. She walked out to greet us—tail wagging, a little subdued but clearly happy to be reunited.

The toughest part of the recovery? The dreaded “cone of shame.” Tuppence just couldn’t function with it on. She stood frozen, head hung low, refusing to move. We quickly swapped it for an inflatable collar, which was a game changer. In fact, she liked it so much she tried to put it back on herself after we took it off!

Two weeks later, and it’s all done. She’s healing beautifully and back to her usual self. We’re grateful the operation is finally behind us—and so proud of our brave little girl. Treats abound!