Big Bear Veterinary Clinic

12/11/2025

12/11/2025

Ray Ray Update

Hey Guys,
I know it’s been a few weeks since we posted about Raylan. He ventured down to UGA last week for full assessment. After exploring all options, the surgeon thought it would be best to place an external fixator to best stabilize the bones in his leg and allow the best chance for complete recovery.

He underwent his procedure last Wednesday and just had his recheck yesterday to change his bandage and clean his pins. He will need this done daily by our staff to decrease risk for infection to the leg.

He will have his next recheck the week of Christmas and we are hopeful that at that time, the external fixator can be removed. This will only happen if the bones are stable enough and his fracture is healed.

We CANNOT thank everyone enough for the support and helping cover the costs. He is so sweet, albeit ABSOLUTELY BALLS TO THE WALLS CRAZY. He deserved a chance to return to normal function and we have done everything possible to make that happen.

We will continue to provide updates over the next month or so. If you have a questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out!

Dr. L 🐻

12/07/2025

We had a great evening celebrating the holidays at our clinics’ Annual Christmas Party!!

I am so thankful for the growth we have had over the last year. We have added the most phenomenal veterinarians to our team and our support staff has handled it flawlessly. I could not ask for a better work family and I am so thankful to have each and every one of them on my team!

Shout out to Brother's at Willow Ranch for the fabulous Christmas Themed Private Room and the DELICIOUS food!

Thank you to all of our fabulous clients for your continued support and for allowing us to be part of your pets care! We hope you all have a Happy Holiday Season!

Dr. Lawlor

11/26/2025

🐻RAYLAN NEEDS A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!🐻

A freak accident landed this poor 10 week old boy in a rough spot. He sustained a tibial fracture approximately two weeks ago and due to the extensive care needed for proper healing, the owners made the tough decision to surrender him over to us at Big Bear Vet.

After consulting with the fabulous surgeons at University of Georgia Veterinary Hospital’s Orthopedic Services, the best option for complete healing is surgical repair, which was no surprise. We were quoted approximately $5-7,000 for the surgery. We are pleading for donations to do right by this young sweetheart, as this is no small chunk of change.

The University has fit him in for evaluation next Tuesday followed by surgery next Wednesday. We will need half of the high end of the estimate at drop off ($3500) and the total bill paid before discharge.

Please share this post in as many places as possible. If you are able to donate, you can choose one of the following options:

- Directly to UGA (706-542-3221), under Raylan Lawlor
- Directly to Big Bear Vet, just call the office or stop by
- Venmo for those that prefer: -Lawlor-4

We weren’t planning on another rescue prior to the holidays, but here we are! He is the sweetest little boy and we are hoping for a speedy recovery for him. Again, please share far and wide.

As always, reach out with any questions or concerns.

Dr. Lawlor 🐻

11/26/2025

Hey there,
Coming into the holidays, I wanted to provide you with an update of our holiday hours for this season. Our hours are listed below:

November 27th and 28th: CLOSED
November 29th: 8am-12pm
December 24th: 8am-12pm
December 25th and 26th: CLOSED
December 27th: 8am-12pm
December 31st: 8am-12pm
January 1st: CLOSED

Days not noted are regular business hours. Please call to fill medications and to be seen in advance. Do not wait until the last minute, as days surrounding the holidays are typically busy.

As always, we are available for our active patients, which have been seen within THE LAST YEAR for emergency services should they be needed.

🐻 As we all know, this is the holiday season where there is A LOT OF FOOD! This is also the season of pancreatitis, gastroenteritis and foreign bodies (we have cut four within the last 6 weeks). Please do not feed your dogs table scraps and holiday foods. Every pet is so different, but some animals just do not handle table scraps well. Whole corn cobs are a significant risk and more of a common foreign body than you think.

🐻Discard of your trash in a secure location to keep bones out of reach, as these are also a hazard.

🐻Avoid chocolates, raisins/grapes, onions and other toxic foods.

🐻Use caution with decorations, including pine cones, plants (lilies, baby’s breath and other toxic plants) and potpourri.

🐻Ensure that your pets have a safe place away from the stress of company and ensure that the exits are monitored, as pets tend to slip out doors quickly. Make sure they have proper identification and a microchip to ensure the best chance for a quick return home.

For more Thanksgiving information, please see the AVMA Pet Safety Information Page below!

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/thanksgiving-pet-safety

LAST, but certainly not least, I want to again say how blessed I am to have some of the best clients and patients OF ALL TIME! It’s awesome to come to work every day, do what we love and work TOGETHER, with our clients for the betterment of their pets!

We love you all and are thankful everyday for the support we have received from the community over the last 5 years! We are looking forward to many more years to come serving this amazing community.

On that same note, I am equally grateful for my amazing staff and the fabulous team of doctors we have put together over the last 6 months. They are some of the best I have ever worked with and they are TRULY passionate about helping our rural area and providing care WHENEVER needed. Building a team with that sort of passion is not easy. From the doctors to our support staff and assistants, I couldn’t ask for more. ❤️

As always, reach out if you have any questions or concerns. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!

Dr. Lawlor 🐻🐻

11/19/2025

Please be aware folks!
Dr. L

🔺Important Update: EHV-1 Outbreak in Barrel Horses
There is an evolving EHV-1 outbreak affecting barrel horses, with initial cases traced back to Texas. As more information emerges, we want horse owners to stay alert and take practical steps to reduce risk.
A few key reminders:
• Vaccination is still strongly recommended — but it does not guarantee a horse won’t show symptoms.
EHV-1 vaccines reduce viral shedding and severity, which helps limit spread and complications, but horses can still become ill or neurologic.
• Quarantine is essential.
This virus spreads through close contact, shared equipment, tack, water buckets, trailers, and airborne droplets.
If your horse has been to an event with known exposure, or was around horses that have traveled, strict isolation measures are the best way to break transmission.
• Monitor closely.
Typical early signs include fever, nasal discharge, lethargy, hind-end weakness, incoordination, or difficulty urinating/defecating. Call your veterinarian immediately if you notice any neurologic changes.
• Reduce risk at home and on the road.
Avoid nose-to-nose contact, don’t share equipment, disinfect frequently, and limit travel until more information is available.
We’ll continue to share updates as the situation develops. If you have travel plans with your horse or are concerned about potential exposure, reach out — we’re here to help.
Stay safe and keep your horses safe. ❤️🐴

11/09/2025

COLD WEATHER ALERT:

As you all know, the cold weather is coming. With temperatures getting below freezing, we want to ensure we are taking some extra precautions so that we can avoid an emergency visit with our large animal friends.

1. Ensure that they have some extra hay. Hay keeps our large animal friends warm during the cold.

2. Avoid sudden diet changes to the hay. If they are not used to it, they need to be slowly introduced.

3. Add a handful/palmful of salt to their grain, along with some water to help encourage thirst during this time (electrolytes are also okay).

4. Add a small amount of alfalfa to their feeding plan to help the gut keep moving and to encourage thirst.

5. Ensure they have access to fresh water at all times and ensure you use a heating element if needed to keep the water from freezing.

If your large animal is an ACTIVE PATIENT with our hospital and an issue arises, please call our emergency line. We are always here for you!

Of course we cannot forget about our small animal patients either. Please bring them inside if possible. If this is not possible, a dog house with straw is also okay.

Make sure they have access to fresh water at all times.

Ensure that they have a collar with tags and more importantly a microchip, in the event that they run off in this cold weather. This way they have a better chance of making their way home quickly to get out of the elements.

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out! Enjoy the beautiful day today and stay warm in the days to come!

Dr. Lawlor and Staff 🐻

10/31/2025

Our Big Bear Vet Team had a blast celebrating Halloween together and passing out candy, toys and snacks to our amazing community.

We love our little town and the amazing people and pets in it! Thank you to everyone that came out!

Thanks to Deinna, Chris, Dr. Flynn, Autumn, Abby, Alexa and Faith for passing out candy while my family and I walked around.

Colton had an ABSOLUTE blast.

Goodnight everyone!

Dr. Lawlor 🐻

10/30/2025

Little Lucy got herself into some trouble with an animal stuffed squeaky toy. She needed to have the squeaker removed from her intestines due to it causing obstruction and the rest of the toy was removed from her stomach. This is a hard hit on this lovely rescue.

Please donate if you can. You can use the link in their post or you can donate directly to the medical bill at Big Bear Vet or via phone.

She is the sweetest little girl and she won’t be out of the woods for another 3-5 days, but we are hoping for her to make a quick and full recovery.

Dr. Lawlor and Staff ❤️

🆘🆘 IMMEDIATE RESCUE FUNDS NEEDED! 🆘🆘
(Xrays included in comments)

💔 Little Lucy — our sweet 34-pound pittie battling Addison’s Disease — is undergoing emergency exploratory surgery today for a possible blockage. The vet believes it may be due to foreign material. They will do everything possible to save her.

This surgery is estimated to cost between $3,000–$5,000, depending on what they find and the extent of the work required.

Lucy has already been through so much, and we’re fighting for her with everything we have — but we can’t do it without you.

🙏 Every single dollar helps and goes directly toward Lucy’s life-saving care. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who continues to stand by us — we truly couldn’t save lives without your support. ❤️🐾

10/25/2025

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE AT OUR OPEN HOUSE TOMORROW MORNING!!

We know our parking lot is small, but we have overflow parking options at the Ivy Funeral Home and Crossroads Garage Parking!!

If you have any trouble, please flag one of us down in the parking lot for assistance!!! We so look forward to this event and I have attached the schedule of events below.

Come on out, enjoy the beautiful weather, learn more about Big Bear Vet and eat some food!!

OH, I ALMOST FORGOT, I will be in the dunk tank from 12:30-1pm! Come get me!!

Dr. Lawlor and Staff 🐻

10/23/2025

Two more days until our OPEN HOUSE AND FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

We are excited to have Dragon Ass Smoked BBQ at our event. Our first 100 guests eat free. We are so excited they are helping us celebrate this milestone with our clients and patients, as their food is THE BEST!

We are literally counting down the days!! We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Dr. Lawlor and Staff 🐻