About the Role
Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency is seeking an experienced Critical Care Veterinary Technician / ICU Veterinary Technician to join our specialty and emergency hospital in Marietta, Georgia.
If you thrive in a high-acuity environment, enjoy complex patient care, and want to advance your skills alongside five Board-Certified Criticalists, Emergency Veterinarians, and specialty clinicians, this is an opportunity to take your veterinary career further.
This is not an entry-level opportunity. We're looking for experienced veterinary technicians who are confident caring for critically ill, hospitalized, emergency, ICU, and specialty patients and who can work effectively and independently on overnight shifts.
Why Dogwood?
At Dogwood, veterinary technicians are essential clinical partners in patient care.
You'll have the opportunity to:
- Practice alongside five Board-Certified Criticalists
- Care for complex ICU, emergency, medical, surgical, and specialty patients
- Develop advanced Critical Care and ICU nursing skills
- Manage complex treatment plans and continuous therapies
- Utilize advanced monitoring and diagnostic equipment
- Collaborate directly with Criticalists, Emergency Veterinarians, and specialty clinicians
- Receive mentorship and support for continued clinical development
- Build a long-term career in Emergency, Critical Care, and Specialty Veterinary Medicine
What You'll Do
As a Critical Care Veterinary Technician, you'll provide hands-on nursing care for patients requiring intensive monitoring, frequent reassessment, and ongoing medical support.
Critical Care Nursing
- Provide continuous monitoring and nursing care for critically ill and hospitalized patients
- Perform frequent patient assessments and recognize changes in condition
- Administer medications, CRIs, fluid therapy, blood products, and other prescribed treatments
- Manage IV catheters, fluid therapy, urinary catheters, drains, and other patient-care needs
- Monitor fluid balance, urine output, pain, temperature, respiratory status, and patient trends
- Support nutritional management and comprehensive ICU nursing
- Provide compassionate, patient-centered care throughout hospitalization
Advanced Monitoring & Treatment
- Monitor patients using ECG, capnography, pulse oximetry, blood pressure, and temperature
- Monitor oxygen therapy, transfusions, CRIs, and other continuous therapies
- Assist with advanced critical care procedures under clinician direction
- Provide perioperative and postoperative monitoring for high-acuity patients
- Support pain management and ongoing treatment plans
- Maintain accurate treatment records and medical documentation
Diagnostics & Clinical Support
- Perform and process in-house laboratory diagnostics
- Collect and properly handle blood and other diagnostic samples
- Assist with digital radiography, ultrasound, and other diagnostic procedures
- Prepare and monitor critically ill patients during diagnostic procedures
- Track laboratory and diagnostic results and communicate significant changes
- Maintain organized treatment areas and ensure equipment and supplies are ready for patient care
Teamwork & Patient Advocacy
Critical Care requires constant communication, attention to detail, and strong clinical judgment.
You'll work closely with:
- Board-Certified Criticalists
- Emergency Veterinarians
- Specialty clinicians
- Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants
- The broader patient care team
You'll provide thorough shift-to-shift handoffs, communicate treatment updates, advocate for your patients, and help maintain continuity of care throughout hospitalization.
In Critical Care, the details matter and so does the technician caring for the patient.
What We're Looking For
Required Qualifications
- 3–5 years of Emergency, ICU, Urgent Care, or Specialty Veterinary experience
- Strong triage, patient assessment, and emergency nursing skills
- Proficiency with:
- Drug calculations
- CRIs
- Anesthesia
- IV catheter placement
- Venipuncture
- In-house diagnostics
- Experience caring for hospitalized and high-acuity patients
- Ability to remain organized and make sound clinical decisions in a fast-paced environment
- Strong communication, teamwork, and patient advocacy skills
- Ability to work effectively and independently overnight
- Passion for Emergency and Specialty Veterinary Medicine
Preferred Qualifications
- Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
- RECOVER CPR Certification
- Advanced anesthesia experience
- Emergency, ICU, or specialty continuing education
- Interest in pursuing Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) certification
Early-career technicians: We encourage you to watch for future opportunities that better align with your current experience level.
Physical & Working Environment
This is an active Emergency and Specialty Veterinary Hospital environment. Candidates should be comfortable with:
- Lifting, carrying, and restraining animals weighing up to 50 pounds, with assistance/equipment available for heavier patients
- Standing, walking, bending, kneeling, reaching, and remaining active throughout the shift
- Handling fearful, fractious, injured, and medically fragile animals
- Cleaning, disinfecting, stocking, and maintaining treatment areas
- Exposure to animal hair, dander, saliva, urine, feces, blood, bodily fluids, and medical waste
- Working around veterinary medications, disinfectants, cleaning products, and other hospital chemicals
- Following infection-control procedures and appropriate PPE requirements
- Remaining alert and responsive in a fast-paced, high-acuity overnight environment
Exceptional Technicians Deserve Exceptional Support
We invest in the people caring for our most complex patients.
Our nursing team receives:
- Generous annual Continuing Education allowance
- Two paid Continuing Education days each year
- Mentorship from Board-Certified Criticalists and specialty clinicians
- Support for advanced certifications and VTS pathways
- Leadership development opportunities
- Career advancement throughout Critical Care and Specialty Veterinary Medicine
Compensation & Full-Time Benefits
Competitive compensation based on experience, technical skill, and licensure.
Full-time team members enjoy:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- 401(k) with Company Match
- Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays
- Employee Pet Care Discounts
- Life Insurance
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
- Employee Assistance Program
- Calm Health wellness resources
- Rocket Lawyer legal services for eligible team members and their immediate family
- HeadStart Student Loan Support Program
- Career advancement opportunities throughout the Innovetive Petcare network
See What Makes Dogwood Different
The Heart of Dogwood
See the people, patients, teamwork, and everyday moments that make Dogwood special.
Tour Dogwood with Co-Founder Dr. Andre Shih
Take an inside look at our Marietta specialty and emergency hospital.
Care for Complex Patients. Practice Advanced Nursing. Grow With Dogwood.
If you're an experienced Critical Care Veterinary Technician, ICU Veterinary Technician, Emergency and Critical Care Veterinary Technician, LVT looking for the opportunity to care for complex patients alongside experienced Criticalists and specialty clinicians, we'd like to meet you.
Join Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency in Marietta, Georgia, and take your Critical Care career further.
Apply today.