your vet admitted that he doesn't know much about cat seizures.  I would
highly recommend finding one who does.

A friend's cat had epilepsy and they gave him Phenobarbital. I understand
that Phenobarbital is the initial drug of choice.

W

Here is some info you might find useful. I also included the URL in
case you need more info. HTH

http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/People/lowekamp/feline_epilepsy.html

Feline Seizures and Epilepsy

The intent of this page is to provide information for people whose
cats have had seizures. Seizures are a serious problem, and a cat that
has had a seizure should be taken to a veterinarian for proper
diagnosis. A proper diagnosis may be expensive and may take some time,
but there is usually an underlying cause that can be eliminated or
appropriate treatment that can be prescribed.
The information in this page is not meant to substitute for a
veterinarian's advice, but to aid those who are trying to learn more
about their cat's illness and to encourage owners of cats that have
had seizures to have their cat's illness diagnosed as quickly as
possible. More clinical information is available through the
references at the bottom of this article.

What is Epilepsy?

It is important to understand the difference between epilepsy and
seizures. Seizures, which range from unusual mood swings to
uncontrollable thrashing and loss of body control, are symptoms of a
disease. Causes of seizures include infections, tumors, toxic
chemicals, and epilepsy. Most seizures in cats have a cause other than
epilepsy. It's most useful to think of epilepsy as a word for seizures
for which no other cause has been found.
You will sometimes see epilepsy divided into idiopathic, or primary,
epilepsy; and symptomatic, or secondary, epilepsy. Idiopathic epilepsy
is the term used for seizures that appear to have no other cause.
Symptomatic epilepsy refers to seizures caused by an underlying
condition.
Regardless of the terms used, the primary goal when treating a cat
with seizures is to identify the disease causing the seizures,
assuming it is epilepsy only if no other cause can be found.

General Advice

Seizures should not go untreated. There are risks of choking during a
seizure, and more importantly, the seizures may be symptomatic of an
underlying disease that can and should be treated. Anti-convulsant
drugs may be effective in controlling the seizures, depending on the
exact diagnosis.

Observing Seizures

If you observe your cat having what you believe is a seizure, the most
important thing to do is to observe every detail you can about it so
it can be described to your vet. Frequently, your vet will never
actually be able to observe your cat having a seizure, so your
description is important to the diagnosis. Try to observe breathing
patterns; paddling, motion, or rigidness of limbs; eye dilation or
motion; salivation; body twisting; muscle twitching; and duration. It
is important to observe which parts of the body are involved. After
the seizure is over, your presence and attention will probably comfort
your cat as it regains consciousness.
Please note that there is an incredibly wide range of symptoms
associated with seizures. Generalized convulsions are rare in cats.
More common is the "partial complex seizure," which involves an
"altered consciousness" and can involve anything from a lack of motion
to bizarre behavior such as attacking invisible objects or frantic
running and collisions with objects (yes, I know your cat does this
normally, this is why it's difficult to diagnose). The major
indication that unusual behavior is being caused by a seizure is the
presence of "features typical of seizure activity such as facial
twitching, salivation, or progression to generalized seizure." (Parent
and Quesnel, 1996)
If a cat is having a single prolonged seizure, continuous seizures
without recovery between them, or two or more isolated seizures within
24 hours, seek medical attention immediately. Aggressive treatment is
recommended, usually intravenous dosage of diazepam.

Diagnosis

Your close observation and careful description will help your vet make
a diagnosis. Specifically, partial motor seizures are more indicative
of symptomatic epilepsy (suggesting an underlying disease), while
idiopathic epilepsy usually manifests itself in strictly generalized
seizures. This distinction is not conclusive; it is just one piece of
evidence to be considered.
A complete physical and neurological examination should be performed
on any cat with seizures. Often blood tests are indicated to detect
any generalized illness that may be causing the seizures. These may
include FeLV, toxoplasmosis, FIV, FIP, urinalysis, complete blood cell
count (CBC), and biochemical profile. Based on these results, further
tests may be indicated. These may include analysis of spinal fluid to
detect encephalitis and imaging procedures, such as MRI or CT, to
detect lesions such as tumors.
You should be aware that few vets have any experience with seizures in
cats. They are rare, compared with seizures in dogs. Ask your vet
questions about what tests they are considering and what your options
are. A vet should not be offended if you get a second opinion. This is
important to remember because I have received email from owners of
several cats that have died from conditions that could have been
detected with a simple blood test and treated quite easily, but were
not. If your vet cannot find any cause of the seizures and has not
done bloodwork, you should be concerned.

Treatment

If a disease is found to be causing the seizures, the best treatment
is to remove or correct the underlying problem. The success of such
treatment depends on your vet's ability to identify and treat the
disease or remove the growth that is causing the seizures. For
example, surgery is often effective for some tumors in cats.
If the diagnosis is epilepsy or if the underlying disease is difficult
to treat and/or not becoming worse, then the usual therapy is to
control the seizures with anti-convulsant drugs. Phenobarbital is
considered the initial drug of choice for feline epilepsy. Diazepam
(valium) may also be effective but sometimes causes liver problems.
The dosage must be adjusted individually to minimize side-effects.
Again, this will require your careful observation; you will want to
find the lowest dosage that will control the seizures. Potassium
Bromide is also being used to treat epilepsy, particularly in cases
where liver problems or ineffectiveness may prevent phenobarbital from
being used to eliminate the seizures.
Some people have suggested that a taurine deficiency may cause
seizures. I have not yet seen any information based on scientific
research that would support this belief. However, it is certainly true
that a cat having seizures should be fed a balanced diet that supplies
adequate taurine.
The success of treating your cat's seizures depends on the cause of
the seizures and the cat's response to medication. This is a difficult
condition to diagnose, so it may take several trips to the vet as
different diagnostic paths are pursued. Furthermore, your vet should
not be upset if you seek a second opinion. If it is difficult to find
the cause of your cat's seizures, your local vet may refer your cat to
a regional teaching hospital that may be able to pursue a wider
variety of tests and treatments and will generally be cheaper.

Our cat briefly suffered from seizures and motor control problems when she
became diabetic and was given too much insulin.

Severe hypoglycemia can result in seizures and muscle control problems, so
be sure to have your cat checked for blood sugar problems.

My girl has ideopathic epilepsy - in other words, no known cause. Thankfully
all but one of her seizures have been very mild. She was on phenobarbital
for close to two years before being weaned off of it, and has had no fits
since. Valium is also a possible drug. Do your research on the diazepam and
possible side effects. Most vets will encourage you to eventually wean your
cat off of the medication, as in some cases, if the treatment goes long
enough, suddenly not having it can -cause- the seizures (chemical dependency
in cats, you know). If you notice her having a fit, turn off the lights,
turn off anything that makes noise. Quiet and darkness can help the cat
relax and shorten the fit. Try to keep a running mental time of the seizure.
Three minutes is the danger zone: at three minutes, there can be brain
damage from which the animal may never recover. I imagine that during a
grand mal seizure, however, that the danger zone might come up faster.

My girl has only had the one grand mal, as I said, and that was in the
carrier on a three hour drive. That's terrifying. Her petit mals were really
only a loss of coordination and a lack of ability to stand. She'd sprawl on
the floor, purring like mad, stretched on her side. Turning off the lights
and just petting her and talking to her quietly always seemed to help her
come out of it faster.