Our 11 year old Bichon is 2 and 1/2 months post op (front leg amputee and 5 weeks of radiation). Cancer (giant mast cell tumor of soft parts) is gone as far as we know. It would probably take another MRI to really know. Two things are strange:

1) When laying down, she frequently twitches or jumps as if there was a sharp (but quick) pain. I can rub her side, and she doesn't usually react, but she may sometimes twitch even if I lightly touch the area…(almost as if I scared her).

2) She no longer eats food/snacks off the floor. We have to hold it up off the floor or make sure the food bowl is elevated a little. We can gently push her nose to the floor without any pain reaction (that we can detect). Our regular vet explained this away as '..she is just getting her balance..', but she had no problems with this one week after front leg amputation.

Anyone else experience anything like this?

Regarding the issue of eating food/snacks off the floor, without any additional information, I might have to agree with the vet.  Cherry's bowl has always been elevated because of issues regarding potential torsion.  However, when she is eating (which is not always consistent), she will eat biscuits off the floor while laying down.  If you hand her one when she is standing, she will lay down before eating.  Also, she drinks her water from a dish on the floor.  So, if you Bichon will not take a favorite biscuit or jerky treat from off the floor while laying down, then you might have other issues otherwise, I would just follow her lead.  Cherry is one year post amputation and definately prefers to eat from an elevated bowl for balance reasons.

Cherry has also had isues with uncontrolled twitching.  It was was so bad when she was on Tramadol, that we removed it from her pain-killers.  She continued to have this problem to a reduced degree when ever she had chemicals in her system.  (Chemotherapy, pain-killers, anti-nausea, anti-vomit, appetite stimulants…..)  Even now that she is chemical free for months, the twitching comes back whenever she is not feeling well.  For us, it is more effective at letting me know that she is "under the weather" than a thermometer.  Jake's Mom is right in suggesting you ask you vet about other drugs.  We need to be very pro-active when it comes to their care.

Paws Crossed and Sending Pawsitive Thoughts,

Bob & Cherry

Our stories sound similar, Zoe is also a front leg amputee from a mast cell tumor that grew up through the soft tissue of her leg.  She is 3+ months post amp.  She also had that occasional twitch and yelp at first, I immediately asked the vet about Gabapentin, it seems to help, the twitch stopped very shortly thereafter.  I would definitely ask the vet to give it a try.  If you don't mind me asking did they do radiation first and then had to amputate?

I can only say that I agree with what everyone else has sad.  Emily also ate on an elevated stool after her amputation.  I had read that they use their heads to help balance so it makes it easier for them not to have to reach all the way down to the floor.  Emily did not have twitching but I was going to suggest gabepentin because other's have recommended it.

Try to make an avatar.   I would love to see your baby,

Debra & Angel Emily

A quick update on this. Our local vet conferred with NC State (where the amputation/radiation was performed). The specialists down there believe it is a disc problem (wish I had taken notes because I don't have the details). At any rate, they prescribed prednisone, and this has been the difference between night and day. She is feeling great and lots of energy (side effect of prednisone possibly). We'll visit the local vet later to get more details and long term prognosis.

I'm still not sure if this disc problem was a side effect of the amputation, or something she did to herself after the surgery.

The last update on this. We had to keep her on 5mg of pred until she was euthanized this week. She just couldn't catch a break. She never became very mobile or comfortable on 3 legs and the cancer came back in her lungs (and who knows where else). While working the past few months to keep her comfortable, she had a stroke (we think). No doubt about it, cancer is ugly and tough to fight.