Our Final Verdict
We give PetCareRx a rating of 4.75 out of 5 stars.
Product Variety: 5/5
Affordability: 5/5
Ease of Use: 4/5
Customer Service: 5/5
PetCareRx is a retail website for dog and cat owners that has been popular in the pet product industry for over a quarter of a century. As the name suggests, the site features an online pet pharmacy, but it also offers a myriad of other specialty products for our furry friends. In addition to prescription medications, this online store provides virtually any dog- or cat-related product you can find in your local pet supply store. Their prices are comparable to other websites, and they offer lots of ways to save, making them a great value as well. Any pet parent will love purchasing from this site, especially if they have multiple pets that they find themselves shopping for often.
About PetCareRx
This New York-based company was founded in 1998 by Blake Brossman, a marketing expert who wanted to provide pet parents with a variety of products at a great value. Some of their inventory includes toys, treats, food, collars, leashes, crates, and grooming supplies. The pharmacy section of their website includes all the prescription medications you commonly find at your veterinarian’s office, and prescription diets as well.
PetCareRx’s founder Brossman was so intent on making sure dog and cat owners could get the products they needed at an affordable price, he even implemented a savings club at a low annual fee to give pet owners their items at wholesale prices and with no shipping charges.
The PetCareRx website is a great source of pet care products for any dog or cat owner in the United States, particularly those who own multiple animals and regularly need to shop for their supplies.
This company truly provides “one-stop shopping”, bringing together over-the-counter items with prescription products. Customers can trust the quality and customer service from this site, as they are accredited by the Better Business Bureau. In addition, there is no need to question the authenticity of the medications sold through their pharmacy, as PetCareRx has also been verified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, meaning all prescription drugs sold are EPA and FDA-approved. Customers can rest assured that there are no fraudulent medications being sold on this site. In addition to their own glowing credentials, PetCareRx was recently purchased by PetMed Express, another well-known and respected company in the online pet pharmacy industry.
Overview
Here is my overview of the PetCareRx website, the products available, and their company procedures:
Product Variety
The PetCareRx website offers a huge variety of products for dog and cat owners. Not only do they sell all the things you would usually find in a brick-and-mortar pet supply store, but they also have the same prescription medications your veterinarian carries, as well as prescription pet foods. Examples of some of the items you can find on their site are – cat litter, dog crates, toys, treats, pet shampoo, collars, leashes, prescription flea and heartworm medications, and all-natural flea and tick preventions. I was also pleased to find grooming clippers and slow feeders on their site. Basically, anything I searched for, they had, although some items were notated “out of stock”.
Product Authenticity
The PetCareRx website offers authentic brand items and prescription products. They are an American company that boasts an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and a Trustpilot rating of over 4 stars. Most importantly, they have been certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. This means the prescription products they sell are the same medications you find in your veterinarian’s office, which is extremely important to know as there are dishonest competitors on the internet selling fraudulent pet medications. PetCareRx’s NABP certification gives their customers peace of mind that the products they are purchasing for their pets are going to be effective and safe.
I found the navigation of the PetCareRx website fairly straightforward. A large search bar at the top makes it easy to find anything you may be looking for. There are also filter options down the left side of the page to help you narrow down your search, although I found when I used this feature, items were occasionally omitted from the results that should have been included in my chosen parameters.
Prescription medications are labeled under their title with “RX Prescription Required”, though I feel this notation should be a bit larger and more prominent, just to avoid confusion before the customer gets to checkout. The price of each item is also not always clear right away. Most items I viewed had prices with slashes through them and indicated the final price would be available when viewed in the shopping cart, which was a little confusing.
During your first checkout experience, you will be prompted to create an account and enter all of your information, including your shipping address, veterinarian info, and payment method. Every page on the website has clear links to get help from customer service if you are experiencing any difficulties.
Cost Comparison
The prices of PetCareRx items are comparable to other major pet supply websites. I also compared some of their prescription flea and tick medications to other popular online sites, as well as my personal veterinarian’s online pharmacy, and found pricing to be similar across the board.
The greatest savings on the PetCareRx site appears to be with their PetPlus membership. This savings club has a myriad of benefits for an annual fee of $49.99, with some of the key features that make this membership so valuable being:
Shipping
PetCareRx only ships to the United States and its territories. Free shipping is always provided for PetPlus members, and non-PetPlus customers get free shipping on all purchases over $48. Shipping is fast, typically arriving in 3-7 business days, but PetPlus members do get priority order processing, making the savings club another way to enjoy an improved user experience.
The PetCareRx website does note that prescription orders may take longer if a veterinarian’s approval is needed, as they cannot ship until they have this on file. To avoid shipping delays on these medications, I would recommend obtaining a prescription from your vet prior to purchase, as you can then provide this to the pharmacy yourself.
Returns
PetCareRx will gladly accept returns of most unused items within 30 days of purchase as long as they are still in “like new” condition. The website indicates that any unsatisfied customer should email or call customer service right away to begin the return process, then ship the item back, at the customer’s expense, for return processing. PetCareRx will only pay for return postage if the reason for return was an error on their part.
Due to health and safety concerns, certain products like vaccines, prescription medications, and prescription food can never be returned. Personalized items and items that have been used or damaged by the customer cannot be returned either.
Customer Service
Access to customer service on the PetCareRx website is prominently displayed in multiple locations. At the top of every page, you will see a “Need Help?” link. When you click this link, not only is the company’s customer service phone number displayed, but also buttons labeled “Contact Us”, “Live Chat”, and “Track Order”. In the bottom right corner of every page is a “CHAT” button with a puppy face logo. And if you scroll to the bottom of any page, there is a large block of contact info that displays a “LIVE CHAT” link, their hours of operation, their phone number and email address, and even their physical address in New York. PetCareRx is a very responsive company that seems to genuinely care about their customers. They even have a veterinarian, pharmacist, and pet nutritionist on staff to assist with any questions a pet parent may have about the products they’ve purchased.
In Summary
Key Features
Authentic Products and Medications
PetCareRx is certified through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, guaranteeing their customers that the products they purchase are authentic, safe, and effective. This is a top concern these days when so much shopping is done online instead of face-to-face, making it easy for unethical parties to sell fraudulent products. PetCareRx has operated with the utmost integrity for the last 26 years and has proven their value in the pet industry by offering the same quality products you can find in veterinarian offices and brick-and-mortar pet supply stores.
Variety of Available Products
It’s easy to buy pet products online these days, but not always from a single site. For example, one website will carry prescription medications, one website will sell only supplements, and another website may only carry pet food. Sites that provide one-stop shopping for pet parents are a top convenience, and PetCareRx fills that niche. By selling not only food and accessories but also prescription medications for dogs and cats, PetCareRx saves pet parents time and money.
Experts on Staff
PetCareRx is not just a team of pet lovers. They also employ a veterinarian, a pharmacist, and a veterinary nutritionist to consult with on product choices and customer questions, as well as to ensure pharmacy items are appropriate for the consumer. This not only improves the quality of the items offered for sale, but also contributes to the all-encompassing level of service offered by PetCareRx.
PetPlus Exclusive Membership Club
In 2014, founder and CEO Blake Brossman created the PetPlus savings club membership. For an annual fee of $49.99, customers enjoy wholesale pricing on the pet products they buy, as well as free shipping on every order. Members can also pick up certain medications from PetCareRx through their local CVS/Caremark. But another incredible perk of the PetPlus club is being able to call and talk to a veterinarian 24/7 for free.
Is PetCareRx a Good Value?
Shopping for everyday items on the PetCareRx website, as well as for necessary prescription medications, can result in great savings for the pet parent. Consumers utilizing this site are not only saving gas money they would need for trips to multiple pet supply stores and pharmacies, but also avoiding excessive shipping charges incurred by ordering from several different websites. For dog and cat owners that regularly buy supplies and/or medications, this site proves an extremely valuable resource, especially when the consumer joins the PetPlus exclusive membership club and can take advantage of all its added perks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are the pet medications sold by PetCareRx the same as the ones I buy at my vet’s office?
Yes! Every prescription medication purchased from the PetCareRx website is guaranteed to be authentic, safe, and effective, thanks to the company’s certification by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, or NABP.
How quickly will I receive my order?
This depends on the item, but many orders will process and ship on the same day of purchase. Most shipping times are indicated to take between 3 and 7 business days. It is important to note, however, that processing times for prescription orders may take longer if there is not already a veterinarian’s prescription on file. RX items cannot ship until this is obtained, which may depend on how responsive your vet’s office is to the request. For this reason, I recommend the customer obtain their veterinarian’s written prescription prior to placing an order with PetCareRx.
Is PetCareRx a trustworthy company?
Absolutely! PetCareRx has been in business for 26 years and is headquartered in New York. They have been positively rated by Trustpilot as well as the Better Business Bureau, and were purchased last year by PetMed Express, another well-respected and long-standing business in the pet pharmacy market. Their customer service is also exemplary, and help from their staff is available even on the weekends.
Our Experience With PetCareRx
Several weeks ago, as it was heating up here in Florida, I began shopping for our spring and summer pet products. Since we spend a lot of time outside in warmer weather, dog shampoo was at the top of my list. I came across the PetCareRx website and saw that they carry a lot of pet products, so I did a search for dog shampoo. Several pages of shampoos appeared on my screen, but the first result was Tropiclean Maximum Strength Natural Flea and Tick Dog Shampoo.
Now, I have a cabinet full of prescription flea and tick medications, as well as our necessary monthly heartworm prevention tablets. But as someone that prefers natural products for myself and my pets, this product by Tropiclean caught my eye. While I would never risk skipping a month of heartworm prevention for any of my dogs, I was intrigued by the possibility that I might be able to lessen the amount of chemicals my dogs consume every month in the name of parasite control. If I could successfully prevent fleas and ticks on our pets by using an all-natural shampoo, we would all be happier.
The pricing of the shampoo seemed reasonable, so I added it to my cart and headed to checkout. There was a 25%-off discount code prominently featured on the banner of every page of the PetCareRx website, and I entered this in the appropriate box before checking out. The shipping cost was very reasonable, and I proceeded to create my account with all my required info as well as my payment method. In just a few days, the shampoo arrived in my mailbox, and I was ready to start bathing some dogs!
I studied the bottle and was pleased that the shampoo is indicated to kill fleas, ticks, larvae, and eggs. The natural pest control agents in the shampoo are pleasant-smelling oils, with a combined aroma similar to that of a citronella candle. I bathed my three dogs using the shampoo, and will continue to use this product weekly as recommended to repel fleas. I was also thrilled to see the notation of “Cruelty-Free” on the bottle – as a vegan, I am always happy to find products that do the least harm to both the environment and our planet’s animals!
While some situations do require prescription flea and tick medications (which I keep on hand), I will always prefer natural remedies and was therefore pleased that PetCareRx offers both. For my own future knowledge, I compared the pricing of one brand of prescription flea and tick medication on the PetCareRx site, a competitor’s website, and my own vet’s online pharmacy, and found PetCareRx’s cost to be comparable. Whatever your needs are for your pet, the PetCareRx website has you covered. I plan to shop on this site in the future, and will certainly be taking advantage of their PetPlus membership to make sure I’m getting all the possible savings.
Conclusion
The PetCareRx website is a great resource for every dog and cat parent. Not only do they stock all the usual products pet owners need to purchase, they also have a top-tier online pet pharmacy to make buying medications for our furry friends inexpensive and stress-free. With the additional benefits provided by their exclusive PetPlus membership – free shipping, product discounts, $5 monthly reward, and 24/7 vet support – there’s no reason to shop anywhere else.
