Thank you all SO MUCH for your guidance and support. Jerry, I actually just talked to you on the phone the other day and bought the Climate Changer Fleece Sweater (I live in Eureka).

I am going to take the advice and call around to a few oncologists. My Vet is awesome and very caring, but I don't believe she is too familiar with cancer and treatments.

We are having a problem with Baloo's Recovery. He was doing GREAT until day 5 when he woke me up by SCREAMING in pain for about 45 seconds and then it takes him about an hour to recover and finally breathes normal again. Then he likes to go outside and lay on the cold ground "icing it" (he's so smart). It has happened twice a day and it is breaking my heart. He has been on Gabapentin, Rimadyl, and Tramadol for pain since surgery. He had his weekly check-up yesterday and I discussed this with the Vet and she didn't seem too concerned, but she did increase his Gabapentin to 3 times a day. However, last night alone he had 3 of these screaming episodes. The first one was the worst he ever had and then he had two that weren't as bad, but it is SO hard to watch him go through that and I totally broke down and cried. I can't handle this, the pain seems WAY worse than before the amputation and it's making me regret my decision.

I've read a few posts that people have had similar situations and that this is caused by nerve pain. But I haven't found out if it goes away after a while? How long does he have to suffer and go through these episodes?   I was thinking about taking him to get acupuncture to see if that helps.

Other than these screaming painful episodes, he is doing very well. He gets along GREAT. He can go up and down the stairs into our house with no problem. He jumps on the couch no problem. I've been giving him some weed oil with food, which has been helping relax him because he was getting too active with all those pain medications. He was eating and drinking well and getting lots of good snacks and treats, except he didn't eat at all yesterday, even when I got him a McDonalds sausage   He's been peeing and pooping normal too. There was one incident that he coughed up a drop of blood and I'm sure that's not good, but I know the cancer is in the lungs so it's to be expected.

Please help. At this point I'm almost thinking that putting him down is what I have to do. I can't handle seeing him going through this pain.

I know, I'm freaking out. I think I'm calming down now. Thank you, Benny55, I needed that. I need to remember to look at the positives... and his IS doing extremely well. I think he is doing too much too fast, but I'm working on limiting him more.

During these episodes, I notice that the area of his surgery bulges and appears to tighten up. Does anybody know if putting pressure or ice or heat while it’s happening helps? Or just let it run its course? I’ve called my Vet to ask, but I’m waiting for her to call me back.

I did read an article from here about phantom limb pain, but Baloo doesn't look or lick at the missing leg or anything like that. Actually, he sits with his head turned completely away from the amputated side of his body. I comfort him, ice the surgery spot and give him light massages (not directly on the surgery site, but his neck and back mostly). I just don't know if any of that is helpful.

Thanks again, reading all of your posts is helping me.

Thank you so much Neil and everybody else. The support is really what need. I've never had to go through anything like this and seeing Baloo in so much pain was the worst feeling.

I've had a pretty busy week at work, but I am glad to say that Baloo only had one more of those painful episodes on the 22nd and it only lasted a couple seconds. Along with increasing the Gabapentin, my vet prescribed 2mg of alprazolam at night to relax and sedate him, which helped tremendously. I think one of his problems was that he just wasn't sleeping well and relaxing, despite all the pain meds he was getting. But he Is doing MUCH better now and doesn't look uncomfortable or like he's in any pain anymore.  I just hope he recovers enough from the surgery to have a few more happy weeks before his cancer takes him.

We go to the vet today to get checked out and get his staples removed and I will keep posting updates on Baloo. 

Thank you all!

Annette