24/7 Emergency
At CARE, the primary focus of the criticalist is working in the emergency room and intensive care unit. Criticalists, who are board certified in veterinary emergency critical care, also have advanced training in handling complex cases. Instead of specializing in one specific body system, we take a comprehensive approach to caring for each ICU patient. Specifically, our responsibilities include triage, stabilization, lifesaving procedures and staying current on the latest techniques for diagnosing and treating critically ill or ER patients. Depending on the situation, we collaborate with other board certified specialists and emergency veterinarians within CARE or with the patient’s primary care vet.
Referring to a Criticalist
If your pet requires further testing or treatment, or if your primary care vet believes they need specialized equipment or expertise, a referral to a criticalist may be recommended. As a pet owner, if you believe that your pet could benefit from the care of a criticalist, feel free to discuss this option with your vet or with the ER doctor overseeing your pet’s case.
Types of Critical Care Cases
Any pet that is seriously ill may benefit from the specialized care provided by a criticalist in our 24/7 facility. Typical cases we handle involve pets who need frequent monitoring of blood pressure, heart function, electrolytes or acid-base levels. We also attend to pets who:
- Undergo traumas, such as being hit by a car, attacked by other animals, stabbed with a knife or burned
- Have difficulty breathing
- Require transfusions
- Experience life-threatening poisoning
- Show signs of shock, seizures or neurologic abnormalities
- Encounter urinary issues
- Suffer from complications like pneumonia, organ failure or blood pressure irregularities
- Are septic
How CARE Can Help
Regardless of the reason for your pets’ hospitalization, we treat them with the same compassion, care, and medical expertise that we would want for our own pets. Our open-door communication policy ensures that we work closely with your primary care veterinarian to manage your pet’s treatment. The CARE team collaborates closely to provide the most comprehensive and effective care possible, regardless of the specialty service required.
At CARE, our shared goal is to provide the highest-quality veterinary care to our patients. In short, we take pride in being an industry leader in emergency and specialty care, and we treat all the animals we serve with innovative, compassionate, and personalized care.
If your pet has experienced a trauma or requires emergency care, our highly trained ER vets are available 24/7/365. We urge you to call ahead at 704-457-2300 to inform us of your arrival. For chronic or complex conditions, we recommend seeking a referral from your primary care veterinarian.
