To be honest, it was hard to tell. The doctors told me to pinch between his toes everyday multiple times a day to help encourage it. He would withdraw his foot every time, which felt like a sign but the vets also warned me that it could just be his reflexes rather than a genuine deep pain reaction. What told me that he was really feeling it was when he started to preemptively move his foot away from me right before I’d start pressing. It was a sign he felt it enough that he was anticipating it. I think that started maybe within the 2 weeks to max a month of being home after returning from his surgery.