Blackhawk Veterinary Services, Ltd.

4.7 (163)
5548 IL-72, Byron, IL 61010, USA

Hours:

Monday: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Blackhawk Veterinary Services, Ltd.

Schedule Regular Vet Visits

One of the best ways to save on vet bills is to prevent expensive health issues before they develop. By scheduling regular wellness checkups, your vet can detect health issues early, helping you to avoid costly treatments and surgeries down the road.

Price Shop for Pet Prescriptions

Oftentimes our fur babies are prescribed human drugs off-label. Your vet is apt to charge more for these medications than you would pay at your local pharmacy. In fact, big-box or chain pharmacies can offer steep discounts. So it’s best to price shop.

Pet Insurance

Most pet insurance providers will pay between 80% and 90% of the vet bill. You can even get coverage for routine care and things like vaccinations and dental cleanings. If you do the math, you’ll most likely find that pet insurance makes financial sense in the long run as well as gives you peace of mind.

How Do You Choose the Right Pet Insurance Provider?

Pet Insurance Review makes it incredibly easy for pet parents to select an insurance provider they feel good about. You can use our handy comparison tool to get the gist of what a company offers. We’ve also collected over 150,000 reviews of insurance companies from real pet parents like you to rank the top providers in the market. Here is the current ranking of each:

Top Pet Insurance Providers of 2024
Rating Provider Total Review
4.4 AKC 889
4.7 ASPCA 11,392
4.9 Embrace 14,179
4.9 Fetch 1,995
4.4 Figo 2,561
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,475
4.9 Lemonade 781
3.2 ManyPets 2,145
4.6 MetLife 487
4.8 Nationwide 21,391
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.7 PetPartners 110
4.5 Pets Best 7,194
4.3 Pumpkin 1,131
4.7 Spot 5,194
4.9 Trupanion 60,280
4.8 Prudent Pet 124

Or, you can simply get a fast quote from multiple providers and go from there.

Thinking of insuring your pet?

Get Quotes & Compare

Getting to Know Your New Vet: Essential Questions to Ask

Choosing a new veterinarian is an important decision for any pet owner. You want to find someone who is competent, compassionate, and a good fit for you and your fur baby. To help you get the most out of your first appointment, here's a list of essential questions to ask your new vet:

Tell me about your experience with [pet type].

Different vets have different areas of specialization. Some are experts with cats, some dogs, some pocket pets, and some horses. Knowing that your vet has vast experience treating your specific type of pet can bring you peace of mind.

How do you handle emergencies?

You must know what to do in case of a pet medical emergency. Inquire what after-hours policy the clinic has, whether they have on-site emergency care available, and if they have a relationship with any nearby emergency animal hospitals.

How do you communicate with pet owners?

Good communication is key to building a trusting relationship with your vet. Ask how they prefer to communicate (phone calls, emails, online portal) and how often you can expect to hear from them.

Are there any breed-specific health concerns I should be aware of?

Some breeds are predisposed to certain health conditions. Knowing what to watch out for can help you catch problems early and get your pet the treatment they need.

Do you have any questions for me about my pet?

This is a great question to ask because the answer will show that the vet is interested in getting to know your pet as an individual and is willing to listen to your concerns.

Bonus question: Can I take a tour of your facility?

Getting a feel for the clinic's environment can help you and your pet feel more comfortable during your visits. Remember, you’re not just looking for a veterinarian, you’re looking for a partnership. Do not be afraid to ask these questions and any others you can think of. Any vet worth their salt will be happy to answer them. Because the more informed you are, the better equipped you'll be to make decisions about your pet's care! And that should be every vet’s top priority.

Reviews from Google

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Linda Smith

This is the best Veterinary Hospital. I had a cat who had been sick for some time. I couldn't find a hospital anywhere who would take me and all referred me to an emergency vet in Rockford. They stayed open past their closing time and last minute at that. They are kind and compassionate.

posted: 08/18/2023

JD Mays

We’ve taken our pets here and their care and concern is incredible. We’ve moved and now live 45 minutes away but we still go back there. I can’t speak highly enough of them.

posted: 07/17/2023

Alyssa Wazny

I wish I could give this place a -100 star review. My childhood dog that I have had since I was 4 years old passed away about a month ago. I moved out of state a year ago and I wasn’t able to say goodbye so it made it extremely hard, also considering this was my only childhood dog and dog I have ever had in general. We made arrangements to have him cremated as we did with his brother when he passed. Paid in full and everything. Come to find out my Grandpa had tried to call a few times to see how much longer it would be, because he wanted to give it to me to have some sort of remembrance of him. They informed us that something happened with his ashes. Either got mixed together with a bunch of other dogs and they wouldn’t be able to give us anything. Neither of us care if we were to get our money back, I believe we did but that’s not the point. We just wanted something special to remember our sweet boy. The fact that a place like this could let this happen is awful. I really am not someone to ever post a bad review, but I am absolutely crushed by this. Would not recommend this place to anyone and I hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else in the future.

posted: 10/18/2022

Susan Richardson

I have used their services for 20+ years for many family members (pets). Have always received fantastic service provided by a caring staff.

posted: 03/03/2023

Staci Todd

The staff was so kind and caring in the worst time for our family. Nobody would or could help us. When they heard what was going on they got us in immediately. We will neverbe able to thank them enough.

posted: 01/17/2023