Fully Vetted

Dr. Coates is a veterinarian based in the other “Sunshine State” – that's Colorado to the rest of you – where she lives and plays with a varied range of animals. She shares her professional and personal experiences, Monday through Friday, here on petMD's blog, the Fully Vetted. Log in for your daily dose of her insight and wisdom.

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Disease Transmission Between Wild and Domestic Cats

Most cat owners understand the reasons why it’s best not to let their pets roam outdoors without supervision or protection. Indoor cats live on average twice as long as do cats that roam freely primarily because of their reduced risk of infectious disease and traumatic injury. READ MORE

Feb 29, 2012 / (5) comments

New Strains of Canine Distemper?

Have any of you run across the reports on the Internet about two new strains of distemper virus affecting dogs in the United States? I have to admit that I hadn’t seen them, but what did eventually catch my eye was an e-mail that I received from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)... READ MORE

Feb 28, 2012 / (16) comments

The Economics of Pet Ownership Hits the Airwaves

I share weekend duties in my housecall practice with several other vets. Working on weekends has its pros and cons, but for me one of the upsides of working on Saturday is listening to the radio as I make my way from appointment to appointment. READ MORE

Feb 27, 2012 / (5) comments

Pigeon Fever in Horses on the Upswing

The continuing drought in the southern parts of the United States seems to have increased the incidence of a disease in horses called pigeon fever. This is not too surprising since the bacteria that causes the disease, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, survives best under hot and dry conditions. The... READ MORE

Feb 23, 2012 / (2) comments

Sarcoptic vs. Demodectic Mange in Dogs

I commonly get questions from owners after their dogs have been recently diagnosed with mange. I usually get blank looks to my inevitable response, "What type of mange?" Their answers are typically, "There’s more than one?" and "Does it matter?" On both counts, the... READ MORE

Feb 22, 2012 / (12) comments

Are Our Pets Capable of Loving Us?

I just had an interesting conversation with the manager of my horse’s new barn. We were swapping stories and our outlooks on all things equine when he said, "I think one of the biggest mistakes that people make is thinking that their horses love them." I’m sure I made some sort... READ MORE

Feb 21, 2012 / (49) comments

Best and Worst of Westminster Dog Show

As I write this, I have the live UStream feed of the Westminster Dog Show open in another window on my computer. Right now, the English Bulldogs are on the floor. Not my favorite breed from a veterinary perspective (any breed that has lost the ability to give birth on its own has some serious issues),... READ MORE

Feb 20, 2012 / (28) comments

James Herriot is Dead

I’m on vacation this week. To free up a little extra time, I thought I’d "recycle" one of my favorite posts from last year when I was blogging on the Daily Vet. If you’ve already seen it, take the day off with me; if not … read on. READ MORE

Feb 16, 2012 / (4) comments

Asthma in Cats and Horses

I’m getting ready to go on vacation. The meeting with the new pet sitter is scheduled for tonight, and I’m starting to throw things into a suitcase. First in, as always, was my daughter’s nebulizer. She has asthma. We don’t use the nebulizer often, but it’s one of those... READ MORE

Feb 15, 2012 / (6) comments

The Hambone Award

Here, and over on the Daily Vet, we’ve recently had a couple of "brisk" discussions about the pros and cons of the increasing corporate presence within veterinary medicine. No matter what your opinion is on this subject, one thing that large companies inarguably can do well is collect... READ MORE

Feb 14, 2012 / (3) comments

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About fully vetted

Jennifer Coates, DVM

Image credit: Jim Piraino

...graduated with honors from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. In the years since, she has practiced veterinary medicine in Virginia, Wyoming, and Colorado. She is the author of several books about veterinary medicine and animal care, including the Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-Speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian. Dr. Coates also writes short stories that focus on the strength and importance of the human-animal bond, and freelance articles relating to a variety of animal care and veterinary topics. Dr. Coates lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband, daughter, and various species of pets.

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