Last night, Maceo came up from the foot of the bed to the head of the bed to snuggle with us at around 1 am, the way he likes to do.
He cuddled into the crook of my right arm and plopped down to sleep.
As he began snoring (he is a big snorer), his upper body started trembling and twitching. It was especially on the side of his amputation, where his left arm used to be.
The tremors were so strong that it actually kept me awake for some time. But, it didn’t seem to wake Maceo up at all! Nor did he seem to be in pain.
Later, I researched this and found that post-amputation tremors is a thing, and it’s maybe even a common after effect of the trauma.
I was surprised that the doctors and surgeon hadn’t mentioned it! But I guess it’s not a big deal if he clearly isn’t in pain.
Has anyone else had a similar experience with post-amputation tremors, twitching, or trembling?
6 comments so far
12:34 pm - 9-21-2017
Susan Purrkins still has a twitch or tremor he is over one year post amp. His happens when he is awake.
With Purrkins it has never appeared to be painful, looks involuntary, just like a jerking sensation. I asked our Holistic used to be Traditional Vet about it, he said what we are seeing is the pectoantebrachialis muscle. (not sure if this picture will show or not;) http://purrkins.tripawds.com/files/2017/06/cat-biodidac-pectorals.jpg
In short -The brain is still sending signals to the arm that is not there, causing the twitching. This could go on for their lifetime. Nothing to worry about if it is not causing pain! Why it happens in some and not others? , I forgot to ask that question!🙄 Our vets don’t see what happens after the amp & what happens at home likely why it is not brought up. Purrkins had more twitching after the amp & he still has the twitching it is less often but it is daily! He doesn’t try using the arm as much but I do see him occasionally trying to use it in the litter box, or playing !
It sounds like what your are describing with Maeco! I think after time these will lessen but he may have these the rest of his life, like Purrkins. If he gets upset when they happen obviously call the vet but otherwise this is just the brain sending signals to the arm. Hope this helps ease your worry!
Hugs
Holly & Purrkins❤️
2:06 pm - 9-21-2017
Thank you, Holly! Yes, I think it’s not a big deal for him (especially considering the volume and intensity of snoring while the twitching is happening), but I was just wondering if it’s some kind of signal for concern. Sounds like it’s not!
He doesn’t appear to be in pain. We have been gently massaging the surgical scar with Vitamin E oil (suggested by our oncologist who said it will help with the scar, which is important to make it easier to feel for regrowth), and he doesn’t seem to mind at all. Well, actually, he doesn’t like the goop on his skin, but in the end he just licks it off, and a little extra Vitamin E is not a bad thing to ingest!
So glad to hear that Maceo has nothing to worry about with his twitches, if a big amputation hero like Purrkins is getting it too!
2:30 am - 9-12-2021
Hi Susan,
I realize it is kind of an old thread but in case if you’ll get the message. Looks like our 8 years old kitty has something very similar going on. Out of the blue big hard lump on his left front shoulder. Did needle aspiration. Not very conclusive. Just said its most likely sarcoma, but don’t know what kind. Told us to go for an amputation but we do not even know at this point what is going on. Definitely looking to talk to other doctors. Would you mind shearing how it went with your kitty when everything was said and done? I hope he is still with you.
Hope to hear from you soon!
6:35 am - 9-12-2021
Hi Yulia, I’m sorry to hear about the lump with your kitty. Do you have insurance for him? I hope so. Yes, we went for the amputation (preceded first by radiation), and then followed by chemo. Maceo’s cancer was very far along by the time we noticed it, i.e. he was basically the equivalent of “Stage 4.” We went down a very extensive treatment path because that was what felt right for us at that time in our lives: we took him to UC Davis to get radiation therapy, and then he had a very successful amputation by a highly skilled surgeon in the Bay Area. He then started on chemotherapy just preemptively, and did quite well with that for about half a year. The cancer eventually did come back, as they are prone to do, and in the end we had to let him go. We don’t regret any of the effort to give him some extra time, but it was definitely a lot of work, money and time and I’m not sure it’s something I would repeat now. Maceo had a very strong and prideful personality, with a zest for life and yet a stoicness about him, so he dealt with the treatments well. When I try to imagine one of our current babies going through it (for example, we have two highly sensitive dogs who can barely deal with getting their nails trimmed), I just can’t imagine them being happier for it. He did ok, but that was him, and I was grateful to have the extra time to love him. He isn’t with us today, but if he were, he would be 15 years old. Not actually that old compared with many cats. Cancer got him at age 12.
I now have all our pets on a preemptive medicinal mushroom and turmeric supplement regimen so that I (hopefully) never have to go through that again. So far so good (but all our guys are young still).
Happy to help further.
4:07 pm - 9-21-2017
Yeah, ditto Holly.
The main thing is he is NOT showing pain or distress, so it is just normal “nerve twitching adjustments.” The tremors will probably subside, vut the occasional twitching may stay. No problem though.
And it’s so true, Vets just see our pets the first 24 hrs after surgery. Quite frankly, many of them jave no clue what recovery at home actually looks like!! That’s why this site is sooooo valuable for first hand information if what to expect.
Give lovely Maceo a big smooch! He realy is doing so cery well!:-) 🙂
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
10:19 pm - 9-23-2017
That must have been so scary! But as others have said it’s pretty normal and as long as it’s not prolonged or he doesn’t seem to be in pain while it’s happening, you can probably bank on the shaking being part of the typical recovery process. As always let your vet know but based on what I see here he’s doing pretty good!