I was thrilled when I found Dr. Siegel of Pasco Vet just up the street from my house. I'd been going to another holistic vet (I'll call her Vet A) for years who's much farther away, but at this phase ... Read More
I was thrilled when I found Dr. Siegel of Pasco Vet just up the street from my house. I'd been going to another holistic vet (I'll call her Vet A) for years who's much farther away, but at this phase of my life, I need someone more convenient. However, My enthusiasm for Dr. Siegel waned a bit when on my first visit she told me not to feed my dogs raw bones (yes, RAW) because "dogs can't digest bones." I've been feeding my dogs raw meaty bones for nearly 8 years now (on the recommendation of Vet A), and I can tell you through first-hand experience this information is simply incorrect. But when I learned Dr. Siegel had only been recommending raw feeding for 3 years, I was willing to see past this misinformation since she was undoubtedly still learning. At least she's going in the right direction, I thought. Things started to deteriorate between Dr. Siegel and me when we disagreed on a course of treatment for one of my dogs. The only option she was putting on the table was surgery. I asked if there was a non-invasive option. She said she wasn't aware of one. So, I did some research. Three other reputable holistic vets that I trust (including Vet A) presented another option that might work for my dog. So, I decided to hand the case over to Vet A. Dr. Siegel was not supportive of my decision, and that was fine with me. I didn't need her to support it. I just needed her to step back from the case while I pursued this other option. But Dr. Siegel pushed me on it and insisted my happy-go-lucky, waggy-tail, energetic, playful dog with good vitals was in pain and she made it seem as though I was not putting my dogs well-being first. (My dog has exhibited absolutely NO signs of pain or any of the symptoms associated with her condition. NONE! If she was, my decision would be different.) The more I was getting to know Dr. Siegel the more I was realizing her need to be in the driver's seat when it came to my pets' care. This approach does not work for me. If I say no to a course of treatment and choose to go with another option, I need a vet who respects my boundaries even if she doesn't agree with me. When I called Dr. Siegel's office to have my records forwarded to Vet A I was told they'd do it right away. When I spoke to Vet A several days later, she had not received the records. I placed another call to Dr. Siegel's office. Again they said they'd take care of it right away. I checked with Vet A a few days later, and she had still not received the records. I called Dr. Siegel's office again and this time asked them to email the records directly to me. I was told I'd have them by the end of the day. I never received them. For 5 days straight I called asking for my records, and each time I was told I'd have them by the end of the day. I finally got them nearly 2 weeks later by going into Dr. Siegel's office. When I needed additional records a few weeks after that, I got the same runaround. Frustrated with the lack of followthrough, I complained. Dr. Siegel responded by telling me she would be charging me a $25/hr. clerical fee to forward my records from here on out (which she can't legally do - read Florida Statute 474.2165 (3)), and then she suggested that I use Vet A for all my services. Clearly she was no longer interested in doing business with me. And that's fine, albeit sad. Bottom line, I think Dr. Siegel is a decent vet. She has a lot of great things going for her: 1.) She recommends a raw diet (albeit a commercially prepared one); 2.) She's onboard with doing titers in lieu of annual vaccinations, and when vaccination are needed, she uses some of the best vaccines available (i.e. Merial IMRAB TF rabies vaccine); 3.) She's knowledgeable in many areas and she's willing and eager to share her knowledge with her clients; and 4.) Her prices are fair and competitive. She's just not the right vet for me. But as long as you're comfortable leaving the decisions for your pets' care up to her and don't feel a need to question or challenge her directives, you'll likely have a fine experience. Read Less