Hi Jenn. I know you're nervous. Everyone is during the days leading up to, and after, amputation. Lots of second guessing for sure. But I can tell you that when it comes to osteosarcoma (as you mentioned in your other post), this type of pain is so severe that once it's almost certain this is the cancer you are dealing with, amputation can't happen soon enough. When not even the strongest narcotics can stop the pain from it in people or pets, you know it's bad.

The problem is that animals are masters at hiding pain, and we as humans have a hard time seeing their pain signals . But you are doing the right thing to help your boy feel better. Even at age 11 it sounds like he has all the sparkle and spunk to overcome surgery recovery and get back to being himself. And I won't lie to you, recovery can be rough and you may think you made a mistake. You'll see him wonky and out of sorts for a while, and that is very, very hard for us to take. But you have to keep telling yourself that it's temporary, and for the greater good. Once he is recovered, you will have your boy back and he will show new sparkle and enthusiasm with that bad leg out of his life.

Be sure to talk to your vet about pain management . This can make or break recovery so advocate for him to have at least 3 types of medication (a post-operative injection called Nocita, an anti-inflammatory like Carprophen, and Gabapentin for nerve pain). Will he be staying overnight? 

Oh good glad he is getting 24-hour care. The Nocita injection is given at the time of surgery, more info is here:
https://tripawd.....tion-pain/