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Critical Care
The critical care service at CARE operates 24/7 to provide the highest level of care for very sick animals in emergent or serious conditions. Our ICU admits patients who need around-the-clock monitoring and intensive care. Similar to those in human hospitals, our ICU offers continuous monitoring of blood pressure, cardiac telemetry, oxygen levels, electrolytes and more. With these services, we ensure your pet always receives the best care possible. We collaborate closely with other specialty services in the hospital. Moreover, our highly skilled nursing team gives each patient individualized care.
The critical care service works seamlessly with the emergency service for immediate ICU transfers when necessary. We also consult with other services about their patients in the event of complications.
Care provided by our critical care specialist starts before your pet arrives at our hospital. We collaborate with primary care veterinarians about critical patients to decide when a referral may be required.
We understand how distressing it can be to have your pet in the ICU. For this reason, we prioritize consistent communication and updates on your pet’s condition. Furthermore, we encourage patient visits.
If your pet is admitted for hospitalization at CARE, please review our Admissions Guide to help answer questions about your pet’s stay.
Conditions We Treat
The critical care service treats a wide range of conditions. Some of these include:
- Trauma (e.g., polytrauma from vehicular accidents or falls, bite or gunshot wounds)
- Toxicities/poisoning
- Breathing difficulties
- Sepsis and other life-threatening infections
- Kidney failure and liver failure
Diagnostics We Use/Services We Provide
Advanced therapies and diagnostics we provide in our ICU:
- Blood and plasma transfusions
- Peritoneal dialysis
- Oxygen support, including high flow nasal oxygen
- IV nutritional support
- Hemodynamic monitoring
- Pain management
- Blood gas analysis
- Trauma CT scans
contact us or call (704) 457-2300.
Critical Care FAQ
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How does my pet get admitted to critical care?
Our ICU admits pets who are experiencing acute or after-hours crises or trauma that requires intensive care or round-the-clock monitoring. Additionally, primary veterinarians refer pets directly to our care for advanced pain management or complex fluid or drug therapy.
Other animals stress my cat out. How do you handle that?
CARE’s cat ICU, which is unique in the Charlotte area, allows us to provide the best care for our feline patients while minimizing the stresses associated with hospitalization. Fear and anxiety are roadblocks to healing. Cats are especially sensitive to loud noises, the scent of other animals and high traffic in front of their cages. For this reason, CARE has a dedicated ward that houses cats only, with sound-proofed walls to minimize noise. We also use feline pheromone diffusers to eliminate stressful scents and use matte-finished cages to prevent glare. Finally, our cat ICU has an abundance of natural light with views of the outside and wildlife.
My critical care specialist is board certified. What does that mean?
Board certification is a rigorous credentialing system veterinary criticalists go through to enhance their education and experience and to bring you the most current knowledge and skills. For more detailed information, you can visit the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care website which provides an overview of board certification in veterinary critical care.
When can my pet leave the ICU?
Our preference is to keep pets away from their families no longer than absolutely necessary. However, sometimes pets require continued intensive care and monitoring after surgical procedures and medical emergencies. Our goal is for your pet to return home safely as soon as possible and enjoy a full recovery.
Our Critical Care Doctors
Vet Tech Profiles
Dana Moorefield
Intensive Care Unit/Critical Care
Job responsibilities
As an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) technician, Dana upholds a high standard of patient care for all hospitalized pets. She ensures that their treatments are completed on time, monitoring their comfort level and alerting their doctor of any concerns that may arise. In the ICU, veterinary technicians perform blood draws, place IV catheters and central lines, place urinary catheters and nasal cannulas for oxygen, administer blood transfusions and much more.
Vet Tech education
Dana is enrolled at Appalachian State University studying for a bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology. She also takes continuing education courses whenever she can to ensure her patients are receiving the best care possible.
Hometown
Born in Winston-Salem, she now lives in Linwood, North Carolina.
What do you wish people knew about being a Vet Tech?
“I wish people knew how seriously we take our jobs as their pets’ caretaker and that we truly care about their well-being,” Dana says. “I wish people could see how hard we work behind the scenes to try and save animals’ lives. When an animal doesn’t survive, it affects us as much as it does them sometimes, especially when, as an ICU technician, we have gotten attached to our patients that have been in our care for five plus days. It can feel like we lost our own pet.”
Best part of her job
“The best part about my job is being able to see a patient make a recovery and go home to their families when we weren’t sure if they would be able to,” says Dana. “We cry happy tears!”
Favorite or special pets
“The first dog I ever owned was a lavender Pomeranian, named Ellie,” says Dana. “She is no longer with us but she was one special girl and was one of the reasons I ended up in a specialty hospital. Ellie was 11 years old when she died of liver cancer. Now, I have two cats named Keiko and Koral. There are named after jiu jitsu brands since one of my passions has been Brazilian jiu jitsu.”
Originally posted as part of CARE’s celebration of National Veterinary Technician Week (Oct. 12-18, 2025).
Haley Travis
Hospitalist/Critical Care/Emergency/Intensive Care Unit
Job responsibilities
Haley assists in taking care of hospitalized patients who are not with a specialty service. She helps communicate between the owners, doctors and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) staff taking care of the pet. She assists in additional testing and procedures for these pets while they are in hospital.
Vet Tech education
Haley graduated from the Gaston College Veterinary Technician Program in 2017 and received her national and North Carolina state licenses in 2018. She worked in a few general practice veterinary offices before joining the CARE team in 2020.
Hometown
Originally from Maiden, North Carolina, she currently lives in nearby Lincolnton.
Best part of her job
“The best part of my job is when patients get to go home with their owners,” Haley says. “Not every patient that walks through our doors gets to do that. I love when we can diagnose, treat and cure or at least manage a patient’s illness so they can have a life at home with their family.”
Superpower she wishes she had
“Have you ever seen the move ‘Jumper’?’ I want that superpower. I guess its teleportation, but this movie makes it seem more fun.”
Hayley’s pets
Haley has two female cats named Puma and Rhino. She also has a female Chihuahua named Reina. They are all about 10 years old and are all rescues. She adopted the cats from her vet tech program, where they had been shelter cats that were used to help teach techs about blood draws and feline handling. Reina was different. She showed up on Haley’s porch in December of 2021. “She is basically a potato,” Haley says. “But I wouldn’t trade her for anything.”
What she likes doing when she is not at work
Haley loves woodworking and building/fixing things. She says she is usually in her shop fixing or building something or planning something to build. She also loves to read in her spare time.
Originally posted as part of CARE’s celebration of National Veterinary Technician Week (Oct. 12-18, 2025).
Videos
Our Critical Care Department provides advanced, 24/7 emergency and intensive care for pets facing life-threatening conditions. From sudden trauma and respiratory distress to severe infections, organ failure, or post-surgical complications, our team of hospitalists is equipped to respond immediately when every second matters. With continuous monitoring, advanced diagnostics, and state-of-the-art life support, our board-certified veterinarians and highly trained critical care nurses work around the clock to deliver focused, compassionate care. Day or night, you can trust us to provide rapid intervention, seamless continuity, and reassurance during your pet’s most critical moments.
CARE at Night
Recent Critical Care Blog Posts
The term “kennel cough” sounds innocuous, like some mild cold virus that runs its course smoothly and causes little annoyance. But in some cases, it lingers and has serious side effects. All dogs can contract and spread it, although certain breeds tend to be more...
Blood transfusions are among the most critical, life-saving procedures in veterinary medicine. Like people, dogs and cats face situations where red blood cells, platelets or clotting factors drop to dangerously low levels. Trauma, immune-mediated disease, cancer,...
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...