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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Happy New Year!! The wild romp through 2010 is almost over ...

This was a good year. I’ll even go as far as to say it was a great one — that is, if happiness can be measured in milk, eggs, cheese and flans. READ MORE

Dec 31, 2010 / (7) comments

The chilly veterinary waiting room and the politics of who pays for pet care

The waiting room in any animal hospital can feel like a cold, lonely place when you’re waiting with a sick pet. It’s worse still when it’s a) so early in the a.m. the doctors have yet to arrive; b) it’s an unknown hospital and you have no appointment; and c) you’ve already... READ MORE

Dec 30, 2010 / (61) comments

What’s your pick for the top ten animal news stories of 2010?

I had this great idea for an end-of-the-year piece for my USA Today column: I would compile what I felt were the most significant animal news stories of the year. They’d be the most telling and the most provocative — both signs of the times and harbingers of change in the lives of animals... READ MORE

Dec 29, 2010 / (29) comments

Does it matter whether my pets look 'gay' or not?

I have this pet peeve. It’s to do with whether my gaudy bandana-and-hot-purple-parka-wearing dogs look "gay" or not. READ MORE

Dec 28, 2010 / (14) comments

Worms in paradise: On hookworm larvae, freaked Floridians and stray cat eradication

Thinking about coming down to South Beach, Fla. this year? It's a perfect winter destination if what you want is gorgeous weather, pretty people, a rollicking nightlife — not to mention miles and miles of beautiful sandy beaches. Too bad there's a wee spot of trouble in paradise. Trouble in the... READ MORE

Dec 27, 2010 / (16) comments

Puppy mill permissiveness in Missouri and elsewhere: Where's the justice?

Earlier this week I received my regular edition of Dr. Nancy Kay's e-mail missive on the subject of all things veterinary. In case you don't know of it, it's kind of like Fully Vetted — but without all the snark and sarcasm. READ MORE

Dec 24, 2010 / (31) comments

Gratuitous animal book blogging for 2010

Yep, that's right. It's time for the Fully Vetted annual animal book roundup! Every year I try to offer you the best of the animal book genre, past and present. Though I happen to take extreme liberties with the topic (sourcing books that may merely remind me of animal issues, for example), it's usually... READ MORE

Dec 23, 2010 / (25) comments

What did you get your vet for the holidays?

I've been busy tonight working on one of my favorite gifts of the year: my annual holiday pizza and cookies party for the staff over at Miami Veterinary Specialists. For all they do for me, my patients, and my own pets, how could I fail to offer their (sizable) staff a big "thank you" in the... READ MORE

Dec 22, 2010 / (30) comments

Should I stay or should I go? A veterinarian's guide to boondoggles, dinners and other 'gifts'

It's the holiday season, so gifts weigh heavily on everyone's minds. But sometimes the stress has more to do with the gifts you're not so sure you should accept than with those society deems necessary for you bestow upon others. In this case, I'm referring to a subject I've treated here before: Veterinary... READ MORE

Dec 21, 2010 / (21) comments

The single WORST holiday hazard? Deadly electric cords!

I feel well-justified in reprising the overworked subject of holiday hazards, given the plight of yesterday's patient: one near-dead kitten whose attack on Christmas tree lighting occasioned his need for critical care. It was bad. So bad we're still calling it a 50-50 case. As in, an equal chance of... READ MORE

Dec 20, 2010 / (17) comments

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About fully vetted

Patty Khuly, VMD, MBA

Dr. Khuly is a former petMD blogger and small animal veterinarian in Miami, Florida, where she practices medicine at Sunset Animal Clinic and serves on the board of the South Florida Veterinary Medical Association. She is a graduate of Wellesley College, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and The Wharton School of Business.

As a significant sideline, she writes...a lot. She authors pet health columns for USA Today, The Miami Herald and Vetstreet. She also writes a popular monthly column for Veterinary Practice News and serves as regular contributor to Veterinary Economics, The Bark, and the Veterinary News Network.

Dr. Khuly lives in South Miami with her brood of hens, goats, dogs, cats...and humans.