Meet the family

Ever wonder if your veterinarian is as crazy about their pets as you are about yours?Well, you can rest assured that this is the case at Priority Pet Hospital.  In fact, we do many of the same crazy things you do for your pets for our own “kids.”  One of Dr. Burns’ longtime clients was worried we’d think she was weird when she invited us to her dog Sonoma’s birthday party.  Once we told her we’d just wrapped up the sixth annual Dog Days of Summer Cookout and Puppy Party in celebration of Rana’s birthday on the fourth of July, however, she felt a little better.  We’re a bit quirky about our pets, too.  For instance, we’ve never owned a cat that wasn’t tricolor.  From Callie to Cassidy, all have been calico or tortoiseshell, a fact that amazes our staff (calico cats enjoy a bit of a reputation for grouchiness among veterinarians and their staff).  While our kitties tend to be wonderful companions at home, watch out if they get sick!  Delta is an absolute handful in the hospital!From oldest to youngest, our pets:

•  Sarabi—7 years—the house matriarch.  Of the three cats, she’s the most timid, running to the dark safety beneath the bed whenever the doorbell rings.  If you’re trying to catch 40 winks, or sitting at the computer, however, you’d better beware.  ‘Rabi is a constant companion in bed and typically wants a place on your lap as you answer e-mail.
• Rana—6 years—the big brown dog.  Rana is the yardstick by which all other dogs will be measured in our home.  He performs a list of commands and tricks as long as your arm, is our constant outdoor companion, and everything Dr. Griswold dreamed his first dog would be.
• Delta—5 years—is named for the Greek letter scientists use to symbolize change.  She arrived around Rana’s first birthday, just as Dr. Griswold shifted gears in his professional life and became an emergency veterinarian.  She’s the class clown and never fails to make us laugh by climbing into any box, bag, or shoe left unattended.
• Cassidy—3 years—a “gift” from the staff at the Emergency Animal Clinic.  Turned in to the EAC as an injured stray, Cassidy needed us as much as we needed her.  After amputation of a fractured and poorly-healed rear limb, “Cass” helped fill the void that remained six months after Callie’s death, and we still see some of our beloved old calico in our “three legged menace” to this day.
• Archie—8 months—the brown spotted dog.  Archie is the anti-Rana.  He’s crazy, stubborn, and sometimes out of control, but he’s so cute we can’t help but forgive him for all his faults.

In addition to the dogs and cats, we also share our home and yard with a few reptiles.  By a few, we mean two or three dozen, which is a definite improvement over the days of veterinary school.  We have several non-venomous snakes, including corn snakes, rat snakes, and king snakes, four leopard geckos, a bearded dragon, several spiny-tailed agama lizards (Uromastyx species), five diamondback terrapins from the West coast of Florida, and seven tortoises.  Add to these a few dozen fish that live and breed in the terrapins’ outdoor pond, and it would be safe to say that pets are an important part of our life, too.svgallery=pet_photos