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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Two dollar eggs vs. four dollar eggs ... How do YOU vote?

Almost every time you go to the supermarket for a big haul, you’ll be treated to a modern dilemma: Do I buy the cheapo two dollar eggs, or the "cage-free" ones that tend to cost twice as much per dozen? READ MORE

Nov 30, 2010 / (47) comments

Why the animal ER is so expensive (Pet economics 101)

The post-Thanksgiving weekend is perhaps the busiest in pet emergency rooms all over the U.S. It's no surprise, then, that the retail store version of Black Friday should also apply to most animal emergency facilities. The holiday season is when we finally start to show profits for the year. Which, of... READ MORE

Nov 29, 2010 / (31) comments

Black Friday blues on the pet front

Now that the Thanksgiving Day tryptophan infusion has worn off (perhaps I'm assuming too much), it's time to get down to the business of shopping for the December holidays. I mean, we live in America (many of us, anyway), so consumerism is a cultural touchstone, is it not? And now that you're clustered... READ MORE

Nov 26, 2010 / (21) comments

Cats vs. dogs at the dinner table

Want a great conversation starter for the Thanksgiving table? Raise this perennial fave: "Are you a cat person or a dog person? ... and what does that say about you?" This is perhaps the safest topic given the vagaries of family dynamics on the fraught subjects of religion and politics. READ MORE

Nov 24, 2010 / (32) comments

Dogged dreams: On snuggling, bed crowding and sleeplessness

Sometimes it really does feel like I'm sleeping with the enemy. All the snoring, the aggressive "snuggling," the jockeying for prime position, and the inter-pet conflicts… it's enough to make you wonder whether it's worth it. Which, of course, it is. Because nothing beats sleeping with... READ MORE

Nov 23, 2010 / (51) comments

Inconvenient euthanasia, embattled shelters, and one especially tragic case to consider

Last Sunday I received a vituperative message lambasting my area’s municipal animal services division for euthanizing healthy pets. The message sender alleged that many pets never got a chance to receive a health and temperament test before they were summarily executed. READ MORE

Nov 22, 2010 / (53) comments

Off with her head? Decapitation not always best, say researchers

I know decapitation is gross, but what can I say, I’m drawn to these issues. Decapitation, beheading, cervical dislocation, they’re all variations on a theme. A theme which, believe it or not, happens to play into how I treat my own animals. And this month, the JAVMA (Journal of the American... READ MORE

Nov 19, 2010 / (38) comments

Is your pet hungry or does she just want more food?

This is a tough question; a really tough one for a great many of my clients. But it’s not rocket science, so here’s my simple prescription: READ MORE

Nov 18, 2010 / (8) comments

DIY pet medicine: How much is too much?

Over the weekend, a Fully Vetted reader wrote to ask me how I felt about a website that promotes DIY (do it yourself) veterinary medicine. Titled, "VetWork," this site is one among many that are offering how-to info on vet procedures. Her question: "Is this OK?" My answer: "It... READ MORE

Nov 17, 2010 / (8) comments

Ten unhealthy habits of overworked veterinarians (and their staff members)

It's not that veterinarians necessarily suffer from bad habits more acutely than any other hardworking group of people, but the reality of our daily stress load is a tad off the beaten path … what with all the potentially adverse client interactions and stomach-churning nastiness that often accompanies... READ MORE

Nov 16, 2010 / (10) 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.