Raven is 5 yr old Great Pyr. He often licks the "nipple" that is left at the bottom of his scar from his amputation (October 2011). The leg had osteosarcoma and it is in his body now. Anyone else have this go on with their dog. If so what did you find out about this behavior? It concerns me because in October we were given a max of 7 months. I am watching him closely so that if he is in pain we can act on it very quickly. Thank you for any opinions or same circumstances.

I'm so sorry to hear about Raven.  I never kept track of how long it had been for Tate because it just made me depressed.  I didn't add it up til he was gone (it was 8 months).

Anyway, Tate licked that darn incision for a long time.  The vet and the oncologist could not figure out why and tried all sorts of stuff.  The vet wanted to do laser therapy on it, it kills the nerve endings.  He explained they use lidocaine to numb the area first.  Well, we were reluctant to do the laser thing, it is not recommended on a cancer site because it "may" instigate metastasis.  So we got an Rx for lidocaine, which is a topical gel that numbs the area and it lasts an hour or two.  We started strictly enforcing the cone (yes, we had been too lax) then we could use the lidocaine to give Tate a break from the cone and he wouldn't be so unhappy.

If Raven's cancer has already metastisized, then I'd recommend cold laser therapy.  I was told it would definitely heal the wound and end the licking, and the opinion on the cancer thing is very divided anyway.  I think it is pretty expensive, but don't rely on me, ask a professional.  You may have to call around to find someone that does it.

Best of luck to you and Raven!