Dr. Jennifer Coates spent her early years in the Washington D.C. area before attending McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada for her undergraduate training in biology ecology, evolution, and behavior, with a minor in environmental sciences. After graduation, she worked for several years in the fields of conservation and animal welfare before returning to her first love, veterinary medicine. She graduated with honors in 1999 from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and has been in practice in Virginia, Wyoming and Colorado ever since.

Over the years, Dr. Coates has learned that client communication is one of the most important parts of veterinary medicine, and has come to see blogging as "client communication on steroids." Without accurate information, she says, an owner cannot be an advocate for the best interests of his or her pets.

When not practicing or writing about veterinary medicine, Dr. Coates enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, cats, dog, and horse, particularly when they can take advantage of the wonderful outdoor activities that life in Colorado has to offer. Dr. Coates is a published author of several books and short stories that all relate to veterinary medicine, pet care, and the human-animal bond, including the Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-Speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian.

_{Image credit: Mike Barry}