Meet Our Team!

Meet the veterinarians and team of Chickamauga Veterinary Clinic! We’re pleased to provide
exceptional vet care for your pets!

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Get to Know Our Team!

We are solely dedicated to your pet’s care! We look forward to getting to know you, and we hope you’ll take the time to scroll down and get to know us.

Dr. Ryan Rucker

DVM, MADS, CVA, Owner

Dr. Ryan Rucker grew up in LaFayette, Georgia. She had a strong bond with animals from a young age and knew she wanted to spend her life helping them. She grew up with pets that ranged from dogs and cats to chickens and goats. Dr. Rucker graduated from the University of Georgia in 2008 with a BSA in Animal Science. She then completed her Masters in Animal and Dairy Science (MADS) the following year. She graduated from The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013 and initially thought it was feasible to practice on all species but quickly found that her passion lay in small animal emergency medicine.

After vet school, she completed a rotating internship at The Regional Institute for Veterinary Emergencies and Referrals in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She stayed on board as an emergency veterinarian for almost two years after that. After having her daughter in 2015, overnight shifts became difficult, and she found a new passion in small animal general practice. While Dr. Rucker still loves a good emergency, her favorite part of general practice is watching her patients grow from babies into adults and developing lifelong relationships with her patients and clients. Dr. Rucker is also certified in Veterinary Acupuncture and loves being able to incorporate alternative medicine into her spectrum of practice when appropriate.

Dr. Rucker and her husband, Daniel, have two children: a daughter named Rowan and a son named Rigby. They have a Great Pyrenees, a Vizsla, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and one kitty. Dr. Rucker doesn’t have much free time, but if she did, she would enjoy gardening, baking, going to the gym, and reading. She loves Disney, coffee, Mexican food, and Dolly Parton.

Dr. Chelsea Garwood

DVM

Dr. Chelsea Garwood grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and had known from an early age she wanted to be a veterinarian. Starting in elementary school, she shadowed a companion animal vet followed by later working at zoos and aquariums. During her undergraduate years at North Carolina State University and The Ohio State University, she focused primarily on equine medicine and research. At the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, she returned her focus to zoologic, aquatic, and exotic companion species and pursued an internship at an exotics animal hospital in Northern Ohio. She then pursued a second internship in companion animals in Columbus, Ohio followed by working at a companion animal clinic for the past 3 years in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Needless to say, Dr. Garwood loves working with all species. ⁣
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In 2021, life brought Dr. Garwood, her husband Andy, and their two dogs Rowena and Trooper to Georgia and the surrounding area. They absolutely love it here, where they have since established a small farm. During her free time, Dr. Garwood enjoys traveling, dancing, reading, gardening, and of course, loving all of her animals.

Michelle H.

Lead CSR

Michelle has worked as a veterinary client service representative (CSR) since 2016. She started in emergency and specialty practice, where she worked for five years, and then transitioned to general practice when she came on board at CVC in 2021. She is the clinic’s master organizer and mother hen. Her favorite thing about working in the vet field is learning new skills and working with dogs every day.

She has a love for all dogs, but especially blue heelers, and she has an adorable heeler of her own named Bonnie. In her free time, Michelle likes hunting with her husband, watching horror movies, and tending to their small hobby farm with chickens, rabbits, cats, dogs, and cows.

Kayla M.

Lead Veterinary Nurse

Kayla has been working in the veterinary field since 2015 and has been at CVC since day one! Kayla loves working with animals and has a deep passion for helping all of God’s creatures. In her free time, Kayla enjoys spending time with her husband and her daughter, Luci. She has one dog and one cat of her own.

Charlie W.

Lead Veterinary Nurse, Technician Trained

Charlie has been working at CVC since March 2022. She attended Chattanooga State Community College and graduated from the Veterinary Technology program in May 2022. She is currently working on attaining her Veterinary Technician license. She is a Lookout Mountain resident and has four dogs, one cat, two rabbits, and a bearded dragon. During her free time, she likes to hang out with friends and family, read, and play with her dogs.

Madi M.

Veterinary Nurse

Madi is a Tennessee Valley native and has worked in the veterinary field for several years. She worked as a veterinary assistant through college and has been working part-time at CVC since opening day. She also works full-time as a 6th-grade teacher at Oakwood Christian Academy. Madi doesn’t have any pets of her own currently but loves working at CVC, so she can love on all the dogs and cats that come in.

Julia R.

CSR

Julia is originally from Canton, GA, and moved to LaFayette after graduating high school in May 2023. She is Dr. Rucker’s niece and is currently a full-time student at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. She is new to the veterinary field and started working at CVC during summer breaks while in high school. She started at CVC in the summer of 2022 and has loved learning about veterinary medicine. Her favorite thing about working in the vet field is seeing all the animals and learning how to treat them properly.

Lauren O.

CSR

Lauren is new to the veterinary field and started working at CVC in 2023 as a part-time veterinary client service representative (CSR). She is currently a full-time undergraduate student at Dalton State College. She loves to see all the unique animals that are brought into the clinic every day. In her free time, she likes to watch animated movies, spend time with her friends, and play with her dog, Toby.