Courtesy Rood and Riddle
By Liz Witbeck
Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital has just finished the expansion of its Saratoga Springs facility at 63 Henning Road.
The veterinary practice was originally started in Lexington, Ky. In 1986, Dr. Rood and Dr. Riddle opened a hospital there.
“There was a need for an extra hospital to handle the horse population,” said Dr. Brett Woodie, a surgeon at the Kentucky branch.
In 2012, they began operations in the area offering ambulatory services. In 2013, they purchased Saratoga Equine Veterinary Service and opened the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.
Saratoga Equine Veterinary Service had been previously owned and operated by Bill and Diana Barnes.
“We needed to expand the existing facility in order to provide the horse population with the services we offer,” said Woodie.
The hospital offers ambulatory services, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, laboratory services, podiatry services, regenerative medicine, reproductive specialties and surgical services.
The Saratoga Springs facility has expanded to include two surgery suites, three induction recovery stalls, a radiology suite, a new barn with nuclear scintigraphy and patient stalls, a laboratory, ambulatory garages, patient examination areas, office space, and a conference room.
The hospital is spending approximately $2.5 million on the project.
“This expansion gives us the opportunity to provide better care to the patients,” said Woodie. “It allows us to work more efficiently.”
Bonacio Construction was hired as the contractor for the project. The project should be completed this summer and some of the new facilities are already in use.
The project consists of 11,959 square feet of new construction and 3,022 square feet of renovation to the existing surgery facility. The new construction consists of a one story addition (9,045 square feet) housing new surgery rooms, offices, and a garage/shipping and receiving.
Rood and Riddle sees referrals of horses from many different industries. Some patients are thoroughbreds involved in the racing industry, while others are from breeding farms, and others are show horses.
Staff is available for emergency care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.
Rood and Riddle employs 35 people at its Saratoga Springs location and more than 250 at its Kentucky branch. It also operates a location in Wellington, Fla.
Its doctors provide ambulatory veterinary service and accept referral surgical and medical cases from New York and New England.
For more information, visit www.roodandriddle.com or call 583-7273.