Cone head Chai

There is a reason Boxer's have cropped tails.  

Anyone that has met Chai in person knows her tail was a lethal weapon.  I have received many bruises from it.  However, about a month ago she whacked her tail so hard the tip broke open and she was bleeding.  She kept breaking the tip open (it looked like a crime scene over here).   Plus the end was very bruised and getting swollen.  We were afraid she was going to break her tail... and then keep on breaking it.  There are no nerve endings in her tail so she wasn't feeling any pain, but still causing a lot of damage.

We took her into the vet and they said our two options were to either train her to not wag her tail (N burst out laughing) or crop it.  We tried to see if training was a possibility.  When we got home we would get her to sit and try and calm her down. It didn't work.  As soon as we released her from her sit she would be all excited and break it open again.  We even tried to take her outside as soon as we got home and I swear she broke her tail open on HERSELF. Yes, she wagged her tail so hard it hit her side and opened up and then she kept on wagging her tail getting bloody swears up and down the sides of her body.

Lovely.

So we made the appointment to cut it off.  

(Chai, home from the vet)

Now, I don't think Chai really minds that her tail is gone.  She is plenty interested in the bandages, but it doesn't appear that she's missing the actual tail.  The cone?  Oh, that is another story entirely.  

Chai is not a fan.

(She was laying down and MOANING when I took this.)

That first night N must have put her cone back on at least a dozen times.  We had it looped around her collar and had to keep tightening the collar.  It didn't help that Chai's neck is bigger than her head.  Just when we thought there was no way she could get it off again, she did.  And I thought Sadie was the stubborn one.

(One of the few positions she didn't complain in.)

Plus, she would NOT fall asleep.  She was on drugs and looked exhausted and would pass out for 20 minute stretches.  Just when we thought she was down for the night she would wake up and wander the house bellowing.  Yes, Chai... we get it.  Not a fan of the cone.  Can you please go to sleep now?  Nope.  She kept this up... ALL. NIGHT. LONG.  I went to bed around midnight and N camped out with her on the futon.  She got him up every hour on the hour.  At this point the cone was secure, but Chai wanted to remind us she was not happy.  It was about NOON the next day before she passed out for more than 30 minutes and actually resigned herself to wearing the cone.  

(next morning, still pissed)