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Date: 3/22/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — When Billy and Susan Ballard’s boxer, Coco, was having a hard time breathing, they brought her to their local veterinarian.
“She wasn’t herself. She is a friendly dog and had become very lethargic. It had gotten bad,” said Susan Ballard.
Their visit to the vet was the beginning or an ordeal for the Ballards that lasted more than two weeks. The Ballards went from one veterinary office to another. The first doctor prescribed antibiotics but didn’t have diagnostic equipment needed to see if Coco was getting better. The next office did, but it was not a 24-hour operation and Coco needed oxygen and overnight care.
Billy Ballard ended up rushing Coco to an animal emergency room in Connecticut, and there was no time to pick up his wife along the way.
“It was terrible. Time was of the essence. Her breathing had gotten so bad, I had to meet Billy at the ER,” said Susan Ballard.
ER doctors put Coco on even more antibiotics, and days later when she still didn’t improve, the Ballards went to the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital (VESH) in South Deerfield.
“By the time we got there, she was near death,” said Susan Ballard.
Specialty doctors using advanced imaging discovered Coco’s nostrils were too small, and sacs at the top of her lungs were so enlarged her airway was blocked. When she breathed, she created a vacuum that pulled acidic fluid from her stomach into her lungs, causing inflammation and trouble breathing. Doctors operated and cleared Coco’s airway.
“Her bark is different and her personality has improved. It’s really been an amazing turnaround. This gave her the energy she didn’t have,” said Billy Ballard.
The Ballards had barely enough time to get Coco the advanced, overnight care she needed, and had to drive long distances just to find emergency treatment. That will soon change, as they live just minutes away from where a new ER operated by VESH is scheduled to open this summer on Capital Drive in West Springfield.
After VESH’s sister location in South Deerfield, the West Springfield medical center will be only the second ER for pets in Western Massachusetts. Many people live an hour away from the closest emergency room and very often, that’s not enough time to get pets the critical care they need.
“It’s scary if someone has an emergency with their pet and they have to travel a great distance,” said VESH Hospital Director Keri Gardent. “If you have a pet that gets hit by a car, that would be the longest car ride of your life.”
Around the clock, doctors and nurses at VESH see people rush in with their pets after driving great distances, only to realize they didn’t make it in time.
“It’s heartbreaking when a pet doesn’t make it. We are here to take care of patients. We can deliver amazing outcomes, but we need to be close enough to make that happen,” said Gardent.
VESH is planning to open a 12,000-square-foot ER in July or August, whenever they finish renovating a building near the West Springfield AAA office. There will be a staff of 70 to 100 medical professionals including doctors, surgeons, nurses, technicians, client liaisons and support staff. The goal is to be open 24 hours a day, every day, when the hospital is fully staffed.
“We’re well on our way to being staffed, we’re on target at this point. But we’re always looking to add talented, hardworking individuals to our team,” said Gardent.
Until 2019, VCA operated 24-hour emergency services at its hospital on Boston Road in Springfield. In a statement issued before the hospital closed, the company said it had stopped offering emergency services and ultimately closed altogether because there was too much competition in the region.
“The industry is super competitive. We’re surrounded by six other primary care [practices], so it didn’t make sense. We decided to merge in with our sister hospitals to be less competitive for the Western Mass. market,” VCA said at the time.
While there are veterinary offices across Western Massachusetts, the only all-day ER for pets in the region is VESH. Other 24-hour care options are in distant North Grafton, as well as Windsor, Middletown, West Hartford and Bolton in Connecticut. Gardent is confident the area can support a new VESH emergency room in West Springfield.
“There’s a great need right now. We have spent a lot of time figuring out how to offer the best medical care and be the best employer possible, and we know how to carry that forward in West Springfield,” said Gardent.
It won’t be long until pet owners in the Springfield area will again have an urgent care option for their animals a short drive away.
“It’s scary to think the closest emergency room is an hour away if we have a pet that can’t breathe or is in pain. I’m very happy about them coming to town,” said Susan Ballard. “I think it’s going to be great.”
Until VESH opens in West Springfield, the closest 24-hour emergency veterinary hospitals are: