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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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Easier Treatment for Aural Hematomas

"Can’t you just drain it?" That’s the most common reaction I get from owners whenever I describe the surgery I recommend to deal with aural hematomas in dogs. I don’t blame them. The procedure sounds like a pretty grisly way to deal with what is a relatively harmless pocket... READ MORE

Dec 12, 2012 / (6) comments

Treating Benign Ear Tumors in Cats

If young cats can avoid injury or infectious disease (the chances of which are much greater if they are indoor-only), they usually only see the veterinarian for preventive care. One condition that bucks this trend is called the nasopharyngeal polyp.   READ MORE

Dec 11, 2012 / (2) comments

Optimal Nutrition Gives the Immune System a Boost

Veterinarians and human medical doctors have long understood the relationship between poor nutrition and poor immune function. There’s even a term that is used to describe this effect: "immunoparesis." Until recently, what hasn’t been so well understood is how supplementing the... READ MORE

Dec 10, 2012 / (6) comments

Are Our Pets Capable of Loving Us?

Today we are reprinting one of Dr. Coates's blog posts from this past February on the topic of whether animals, and more specifically, our pets, are capable of emotional love. If you missed it then, read her take on the issue today, and then join the conversation with your own comments and experiences... READ MORE

Dec 06, 2012 / (9) comments

Spoiled versus Spoiled Rotten

Holiday shopping is in full swing. It seems like a good time to discuss the difference between spoiling your pets and spoiling them rotten. The way I see it, spoiling pets involves giving them everything they need in the way of attention, love, exercise, nutrition, and accessories … and then a... READ MORE

Dec 05, 2012 / (8) comments

The Fever of Unknown Origin

One of the more frustrating conditions veterinarians have to deal with goes by the self-descriptive name "Fever of Unknown Origin," or FUO. Typically, an owner will bring in a dog, cat, chinchilla, what have you, complaining that he or she just isn’t quite right. The pet may be lethargic,... READ MORE

Dec 04, 2012 / (2) comments

Paralyzed Dogs Walk Again

Before you read any further, take a look at this video. Note the captions that appear at the bottom of the frame. In order, they read Dog 7 (his name is Jasper, by the way) – preintervention; One month post OEC transplantation; Three months post OEC transplantation; and Six months post OEC transplantation.   READ MORE

Dec 03, 2012 / (3) comments

Pet Travel and Relocation History is Important to Your Vet

I’ve moved around North America a fair bit and as a result have first-hand experience with the regional differences in veterinary medicine (both as a doctor and pet owner). Many owners don’t fully appreciate how important local variations in disease prevalence can be to designing an effective... READ MORE

Nov 29, 2012 / (4) comments

Testing My Dog's IQ (Hint: Sweet, But Not Too Smart)

I gave Apollo, my boxer, an “IQ” test the other day (yes, I was procrastinating), and it confirmed what I have been saying ever since he moved in with us a couple of years ago — he is not very bright. There are other ways I could describe his mental capacities (one ends in the phrase... READ MORE

Nov 28, 2012 / (4) comments

Pets and the Placebo Effect: Part 2

Yesterday, we talked about the placebo effect and the ways in which it might affect a pet’s response to treatment. I also mentioned interesting research that looked into how caretakers’ perceptions can be altered by the assumption that treatment will be effective. Let’s look at that... READ MORE

Nov 27, 2012 / (4) comments

About fully vetted

Jennifer Coates, DVM

Photo of Dr Coates

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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Most Read Fully Vetted Articles

Why Large Dogs Die Young
When Dr. Coates was on vacation a couple of months ago, she posted a link to an article...
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It's a Boy!
Dr. Coates has a new pet member of the family. His name is Bernie, and he’s a Betta.
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Breaking the Law, Breaking the Law
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Most Commented Articles

A Couple of Law Updates
In today’s Fully Vetted, Dr. Coates updates readers regarding developments on two...
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Veterinarians and Owners Need to Listen
Dr. Jennifer Coates was going over the comments that you all left on her survey a...
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Dogs and Cats Get Bipartisan Support
Pet owners in Colorado have reason to celebrate this month, after two new bills were...
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Breaking the Law, Breaking the Law
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PETMD POLL

What do you use to prevent ticks from feeding on your pet?

Spot-on meds
60% (114 votes)
Oral meds
14% (27 votes)
Tick collars
8% (15 votes)
Other
6% (12 votes)
N/A (I do not use tick preventives)
12% (23 votes)
Total votes: 191
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