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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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Diagnosing and Treating the Addisonian Dog

A couple of you have mentioned Addison’s Disease in your replies to various posts in the last few weeks, oftentimes referring to how frustrating you found the process of reaching a definitive diagnosis to be. I thought I’d write about Addison’s in hopes that the process might go a bit... READ MORE

Dec 01, 2011 / (30) comments

Topical Hormone Replacement Therapy: Be Careful Around Pets

Getting older isn’t always a lot of fun … but it sure does beat the alternative.   READ MORE

Nov 30, 2011 / (11) comments

Genetic Testing for the Mixed Breed Dog

Yesterday, we talked about how genetic and other types of tests can help breeders make informed decisions about which individuals should be bred and which should be spayed or neutered to prevent them from passing on "faulty" genes to the next generation. Since December 2nd is National Mutt... READ MORE

Nov 29, 2011 / (23) comments

Genetic (and other) Testing Helps with Breeding Decisions

Determining whether or not a dog should be used for breeding is not always easy, which is just one of the reasons why I cringe when I hear pet owners say that they want to breed their dog "for the experience," or "to have one of his or her offspring."   READ MORE

Nov 28, 2011 / (9) comments

Blood Tests for Cancer Screening?

I recently received a request to talk about a specific topic — newly available blood tests for cancer in pets. I didn’t know very much about the subject, but looking into it was fascinating. Here’s what I found.   READ MORE

Nov 23, 2011 / (4) comments

The Pain of Osteosarcoma

I had a heart-breaking euthanasia appointment a few weeks ago. Euthanasias are always difficult, but usually I can focus on the relief/prevention of suffering aspect and feel pretty good about it when all is said and done. My overwhelming emotion on this evening, however, was simply, "this is just... READ MORE

Nov 22, 2011 / (20) comments

Giving Thanks

It seems like people spend a lot of time these days focused on what is wrong with the world. In some ways, this is beneficial. If we don’t face our problems, we can’t do anything to improve our situations. Conflict can be a strong impetus for change.   READ MORE

Nov 21, 2011 / (24) comments

Common Medical Causes of Inappropriate Urination

When an owner brings his or her cat to the veterinarian with a complaint that appears to point toward the lower urinary tract (i.e., the urethra, bladder, and/or ureters), the doctor will start the work-up by performing a physical examination and a urinalysis. Depending on the results of these two procedures,... READ MORE

Nov 18, 2011 / (3) comments

Hypothyroidism ... Are You Sure?

Veterinarians often say that they see patients in clusters. One week might be "diabetes" week; the next is all about inflammatory bowel disease. Sometimes these clusters are real, like in cases of an outbreak of infectious disease, but more often than not they are probably just a chance occurrence.... READ MORE

Nov 17, 2011 / (29) comments

A Potential Giant Step Forward in Lymphoma Treatment

Lymphoma is one of the most common forms of cancer in dogs. Every time I diagnose one of my patients with lymphoma I have what boils down to a "bad news : a little bit of good news" discussion with my client.   READ MORE

Nov 16, 2011 / (6) 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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Lucky Number 13: Rottweilers as Guide Dogs to...
Veterinarians at the Murphy Foundation’s Center for Exceptional Longevity Studies...
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Breaking the Law, Breaking the Law
Veterinarians need your help; many of them are currently on the lam from the DEA....
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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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Preventing Heartworm Disease
Dr. Coates has written many times about heartworm disease but today she thought she’d...
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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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PETMD POLL

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

Spot-on meds
60% (113 votes)
Oral meds
14% (26 votes)
Tick collars
8% (15 votes)
Other
6% (12 votes)
N/A (I do not use tick preventives)
12% (23 votes)
Total votes: 189
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