I met MSU's minimum requirements but my application score was a 7.0 and only students with an 8.5 or higher were invited to interview.
To my understanding, MSU doesn't look at your GPA at all once you clear the minimum. If you had a 7.0 and the average interviewee had an 8.5 or higher, that means that there are OTHER parts of your application that are holding you back because GPA isn't included in that score. (Somebody at MSU can correct me here if I'm wrong.)
I have about 260 hours of Animal Experience with pet sitting and being a turkey and swine farm employee, about 500 hours of research experience working with poultry and swine, and about 800 hours of Veterinary Experience in a SA Emergency/Specialty clinic, a GP clinic, and about 20 hours of exotic experience.
It really sucks because I have a ton of animal/vet experience and leadership experiences, but the only thing holding me back is my GPA. NC State is my In-State and they don't take the higher grade even if I retake the classes.
I'm sure that this isn't what you want to hear, but based on the numbers you posted I think you are actually a below average applicant, especially in terms of animal experience and to some extent veterinary experience.
Not every school posts experience hours for successful applicants, but applicants with more than 1,000 hours of animal experience and more than 1,000 hours of veterinary experience seem to be the norm for schools that do post that information. Look through the admitted applicant stat thread and jot down some notes about the types of experiences that people with lower end GPAs had. My impression is that most of them had way above average veterinary hours because they worked either full time or part time for years in a veterinary setting. (Granted I haven't sat down and crunched the numbers, so maybe I'm wrong, but I'd be willing to bet money on it.)
Also, NC State will average in the GPA of any courses that you re-take. If you retook those four courses and got A's in all of them you could potentially raise your pre-req GPA from about a 3.18 to a 3.36 for NCSU. Not a huge jump, but it would be noticeable and push you closer to the mean pre-req GPA for NCSU, which they post as 3.61. It would also push up your last 45 closer to the mean - the average successful applicant has a 3.72; if you retook 16 credits worth of courses and got straight A's you'd pull yourself up to ~3.55. Your overall GPA probably wouldn't move much, but you're not very far off of that stat anyway (3.52 for you vs. 3.64 for average applicant).
Honestly, your current GPA stats fall within the ranges given by the school for admitted in-state applicants (3.14-4.00 for cumulative GPA, 3.30-4.00 for last 45, and 2.97-4.00 for pre-reqs). Given that reality, if I were you I would be looking into what other parts of your application could be strengthened, not just your GPA. Your GPA isn't doing you any favors, but it is definitely not the only thing holding you back.
If I were you I would:
1. Get feedback during a file review with any program that will give you one. You won't know if programs didn't like your essays or if one of your LORs was garbage unless someone tells you. Essays and LORs are important parts of your application and having really stellar application materials can help you overcome a sub-par GPA. (Same goes for GRE score for programs that want them - make sure you are getting above average if you want to compensate for below average GPA.)
2. Focus on getting more experience.
First: buff up your veterinary experience in 1-2 different diverse fields if you can - more exotics, shelter med, large animal, lab medicine, etc. You have plenty of small animal already, but if that's the easiest for you to increase your hours in because you can get a job at a clinic, go for it. If I remember the admissions site, NCSU wants to see experience in at least 3 different aspects of the profession: you have a lot of hours in one area (small animal) and a small number in a second (exotics).
Second: get more hours with animals. Easiest way is volunteering at an animal shelter or working on a farm (it sounds like you may already have connections with one)
3. If you want to improve your GPA, start by retaking those 4 classes that you got a C in. You can't improve your pre-requisite GPA unless you do that, and pre-req GPA is usually it's own stand alone part of the application for schools.
4. Do a Master's if there is one that speaks to you. You could also do an undergraduate certificate or graduate certificate in a field that interests you, or delay your graduation and add a double major or a minor to your current degree program (if you are still in school). All of those things should only take about a year. You could also just take a few classes relevant to vet-med to boost your last 45 GPA without being in a degree program.
Only pursue further education, especially if you will accrue debt while doing so, if it will help you in an alternate career. Don't go just for GPA fodder, and I'd prioritize getting tons of experience over accruing debt to strengthen your application. If you go the school option, ideally choose something that will count toward your science GPA. (I think somebody on this forum was told by a program that the online UF programs don't count toward science GPA? Make sure you ask any schools you plan on (re)applying to how programs will count on your application.)