I'm not sure this will help you at all, but Harley would intermittently let out a yelp, which we assume to be Phantom Limb Pain. He was put on gabapentin, which has stopped the yelping (we recently stopped the gabapentin, yelping returned, so we’re back on it). When Harley yelped, he’d jump up and usually whip his head around to where his leg was, and then typically come over for a hug or attention. He also used to lick where his leg should have been. Since being put on gabapentin, I notice he will still at times “jump” or "startle", but he doesn’t yelp anymore and doesn’t seek attention after it happens … and it happens pretty rarely now.

So, I’m not sure this helps you out. But for us, we’re pretty sure Harley’s “yelps” are Phantom Limb Pain.

Like previously posted, the first two weeks can be hell. We, of course, don’t want our babies in pain, but it can take a couple weeks for them to start acting like their old selves. Hang in there, it does get better and easier!!

I don't have any experience with yelping following amputation but when I read your post I immediately thought of phantom pain .  It seems that others have posted similar stories.  Please ask your vet about gabepentin.  Good luck.  What is your dog's name?

Debra & Angel Emily

along with others, we also have experience with that horrible yelping thing (i call it screaming and it scares the crap outta me!!).  3 days after surgery Jack woke us up in the middle of the night screeching, and the next day he was perscribed gabapentin.  I haven't heard the sound since.  Good luck!!

<3 Laura and Snuggle Bear

Looks like you've gotten lots of great input already.  Seems like what most of us believe to be phantom limb pain does vary quite a bit in how it presents itself.  My Yoda definitely had yelps.  Very scary, I know.  In retrospect, it probably would have saved me a lot of stress if I had gotten him some gabapentin, so good luck with that!  Some vets are resistent, not believing dogs experience phantom limb pain, but I have yet to hear a good reason for them not to be in favor of at least trying it. 

For Yoda, he would be lying down, I'd hear him yelp, I'd go to him and he would seem stuck between getting up and lying down and he'd cry a little bit and there didn't seem to be anything I could do to help, then he'd finally lower himself back down and be okay again.  For him, it only lasted maybe four days, starting off very far apart, then becoming more frequent, and then it just stopped right when I was ready to argue with the vet that something was definitely wrong and his pain needed to be treated.  BUT, I know others have reported the same sort of yelp and it lasted much longer, so I wouldn't count on it going away soon on its own.  Also, Yoda's phantom pain didn't start for a few days after he had been home, but maybe his fentanyl patch postponed that a bit?  Doesn't sound like Toby got a patch like that, since you said he was off his heavy duty meds already.  Anyway, I'm certainly no expert.  I just try to piece together what I learn from everyone else

I have had another dog go through amputation since Yoda - Gerry (you'll also see me on here as GerrysMom) and he may have had some phantom pain as well, but he didn't do as much yelping.  His main symptoms were pacing and not wanting to lie down (for like 12 hours straight!).  I suspect the pain meds nearly as much as I suspect pain for his symptoms.  He also might have done much better on Gabapentin.  However, at that time, I was only fostering him, and wasn't able to convince the shelter to insist on getting Gabapentin from the vet.  Poor guy.  We got through it okay in the end and now that I've adopted him I can deal with his health issues directly with his vet myself - thank dog!  He's a sweet happy boy now.  I sure wish it hadn't gone down like that though.

Hi, I'm new here. My 8 yr old lab had her right forequarter removed (osteosarcoma) on December 21. I also experienced some random yelpings which were accompanied by her attempting to run away from what seemed to be pain. It only happened a few times but the frequency was greatest at about 1 week post amputation. She seemed better when the sutures had been removed but I doubt that it had anything to do with the yelping. I assumed phantom pain . It didn't seem frequent enough to put her back on the heavy duty pain meds which had made her sooooooo lethargic and "not herself". It was a scary experience though and made me feel bad for putting her through the amputation in the first place. Thankfully she is now a 100% (well I guess 75%)pain free happy go lucky girl who's loving and living life to the fullest. There is hope on the horizon for you...hang in there.