Canine rehabilitation therapy
Expert orthopedic care combined with tailored exercises to enhance recovery and mobility. The water treadmill is the room most general practices in the area do not have.
Canine rehabilitation detailsFamily owned since 1959 · Sycamore, Illinois · Hablamos español
Bethany Animal Hospital has looked after Sycamore's dogs, cats and exotic pets since 1959.
Three generations of the same family on Bethany Road, and a team where 60 years, 26 years and 25 years are ordinary lengths of service. Preventive care, surgery, exotics, and a canine rehabilitation room most practices around here do not have.
Texts go to (815) 991-4556 only. Mensaje de texto es preferido para preguntas no urgentes, o para agendar citas.
Mon, Wed, Thu 7:30am-7:30pm · Sat 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM · Full hours and directions
The record
Sixty-six years of one family's notes on the same town's animals.
Bethany started as Schelkopf Veterinary Clinic on Route 64 in 1959 and moved to this building on Bethany Road in 1979. Su Hartung has been bringing cats here since 1985. That kind of continuity is not a marketing line here, it is the filing system.
- 1959Berni and Russell Schelkopf buy Haxby Veterinary Clinic on Route 64 in Sycamore, a year after Russell takes his DVM at Iowa State.
- 1979Their son Mike, DVM, and his classmate Deborah move the practice to Bethany Road and rename it Bethany Animal Hospital.
- 1981Mike's brother Charlie joins as a veterinarian. Through these years the practice treats companion animals and the area's livestock side by side.
- NowThree generations in, still family owned, with 120 years of combined veterinary experience across the team and seven veterinarians on staff.
What Bethany treats
A general practice that kept the hard work in the building.
Most of what happens here is ordinary and should be: puppy exams, vaccines, dentals, senior blood work. What is less ordinary is the rest of the list. The imaging, the laboratory, the orthopedic surgery and the rehabilitation room are all on site, so a dog that needs a TPLO and then needs to learn to walk on it again never leaves the same team.
Three more rooms most general practices send you away for.
Every service we publish
Orthopedic surgery
Specialized orthopedic surgery for bone and joint injuries, with post-operative pain management and rehabilitation under the same roof.
Exotic pet medicine
Care that goes beyond traditional practice, tailored to rabbits, rodents, reptiles and birds. Exotic and avian exams are part of the regular service list.
Ultrasound services
Non-invasive imaging used to diagnose health issues accurately, alongside digital radiographs, EKG, endoscopy and the in-clinic laboratory.
Primary care
The visits that make up most of a pet's life here, from the first puppy exam to senior medicine.
- Adult preventive care exams
- Senior preventive care exams
- Pediatric puppy and kitten exams
- Individualized immunizations
- Senior pet medicine
- Nutritional counseling and weight management
- Heartworm and flea prevention
Advanced and diagnostic care
Imaging, laboratory and pain work kept in the building so results come back the same visit.
- Digital radiographs
- Ultrasound
- Electrocardiography
- Endoscopy
- In-clinic diagnostic laboratory
- Advanced urinalysis technology
- Dentistry
Surgery
Routine and specialist procedures, each with post-operative pain management and follow-up care.
- Spay and neuter
- Orthopedic surgery
- Platelet Rich Plasma therapy
- Gastrointestinal surgery
- Soft tissue surgery
- Abdominal exploratory surgery
- Ophthalmic surgeries
A first visit
What actually happens when you bring a new patient in.
- 01Book by phone on (815) 239-6938, or text (815) 991-4556. If the drive in is the hard part, call from the parking lot when you arrive and somebody will come out and help you get your pet through the door.
- 02You are checked in and taken to an exam room. The practice is a Cat Friendly Practice at Silver level and has Fear Free certified staff, which in plain terms means the handling is built around keeping the animal calm rather than quick.
- 03Bloodwork, radiographs and ultrasound are all done in this building, so where a test is needed the answer usually comes back inside the same appointment instead of a second trip a week later.
- 04Records, future appointment requests and messaging live in Vello, the app the practice moved to from PetDesk. Forms and policies are on the patient center page.
Who you actually see
Nobody here is new.
Veterinary practices lose people. This one mostly does not, and it is the clearest thing we can tell you about what a visit is like. These are years of service at Bethany, from the practice's own records.
- Dawn Felix
- Practice team
- 60yrs
- Dr. Carlos Dominguez
- Veterinarian
- 26yrs
- Dr. LeAnn Gruber
- Veterinarian
- 25yrs
- Erin Murphy
- Leadership and facility management
- 25yrs
- Jodie
- Rehabilitation therapist and CVT
- 18yrs
Google reviews
4.7
out of 5, across 627 reviews
We recently took both of our senior cats in as new patients. The entire staff was pleasant, welcoming and thoughtful to minimize stress for the animals. We appreciated Dr. Mason's approach to senior care. He was supportive and respectful as we consider our future care options. I highly recommend this clinic.
AAHA accredited. Cat Friendly Practice, Silver. Fear Free certified staff.Voted DeKalb County's Best Veterinarian and Animal Hospital.
I've been using Bethany since 1985 for generations of house cats, and all staff from the front desk to the medical team have been warm and proficient. Never had an issues.
This was the first time we have used Bethany. Everyone was very professional and caring. Each person we interacted with spent time with us to ensure we were well informed on the care and treatment of our new puppy. I appreciate that the medicine we needed was pre measured and easy to dispense. We expect our follow up visit will be equally impressive. We would highly recommend.
The best Veterinary Practice you could go to! Personally, Dr Brown and Dr Dominguez have treated my animals like their own. I could not ask for better doctors and nurses.
Before you call
The questions the front desk answers most.
Yes. The practice states it is accepting new patients. Call (815) 239-6938 to book a first visit, or text (815) 991-4556, which is the only number here that receives messages.
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Tuesday 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 to 6:00 PM. Friday 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Saturday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Closed Sunday. If you need help bringing your pet into the building, call when you arrive and someone will come out.
Yes. Exotic pet and avian exams are part of the regular service list, and Exotic Pet Medicine is one of the practice's named specialty services.
Bethany publishes a referral list of emergency clinics for the hours it is unavailable, including Animal Emergency Clinic of Rockford at (815) 229-7791 and UrgentVet in Elgin at (630) 221-6500. The full list, including exotics-only options, is on the Patient Center page.
The practice does not restrict which insurer you use. Every insurer except Trupanion requires payment at the time of service, with the claim submitted by you for reimbursement. Trupanion can pay at the time of service.
Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours ahead. Arriving 10 or more minutes late may mean rescheduling, and two or more missed or late-cancelled appointments may require a non-refundable exam pre-payment to hold future bookings.
Yes. Several team members speak Spanish. Hablamos espanol. Mensaje de texto es preferido para preguntas no urgentes, o para agendar citas.
Through Vello, the IDEXX app the practice moved to from PetDesk. It carries vaccine records, appointment requests and messaging, and it is available around the clock.
Accepting new patients
Bring us the animal you are worried about.
Call the office on (815) 239-6938, or text (815) 991-4556 if it can wait until we are between appointments. If you need a hand getting your pet through the door, call us from the parking lot and somebody will come out.
2400 Bethany Road, Sycamore, IL 60178