Covetrus

For pet owners in Maine, ensuring our beloved animal companions receive the best possible "veterinary care" often involves a behind-the-scenes network of suppliers, pharmacies, and technological support that helps local veterinary clinics operate smoothly. Covetrus, headquartered in Portland, Maine, is a global animal-health technology and services company. While their primary mission is to empower veterinary practices with products, services, and technology, they also offer resources that directly impact pet owners, such as online pharmacy services often branded for individual veterinary clinics, and pet parent engagement platforms. It's important for Maine pet owners to understand how companies like Covetrus fit into the broader landscape of animal health, particularly when it comes to accessing medications and managing wellness.

"Veterinary care" provided through the lens of Covetrus primarily revolves around supporting the veterinarians who directly treat our pets. They are a large-scale provider of pharmaceuticals, consumables, equipment, diagnostics, and pet nutrition to veterinary clinics worldwide. For pet owners in Maine, this means that many of the medications your vet prescribes, the food they recommend, or even the diagnostic tools they use might originate from or be facilitated by Covetrus. In recent years, Covetrus has also expanded its offerings to pet parents directly through platforms like GreatPetCare, which allows for features such as scheduling appointments, filling approved prescriptions, and accessing pet health records and educational resources, all aimed at enhancing the connection between pet owners and their local veterinarians. However, it is crucial to note that the experience with such large-scale providers can vary, and direct customer interactions are often managed by the individual veterinary clinics partnered with them.

Covetrus's address in Maine is 12 Mountfort St, Portland, ME 04101, USA. This location in the heart of Portland places it in a well-known area of the city. As a global company with a significant presence, their Portland office serves as a key operational hub, including a state-of-the-art specialty pharmacy. While this is their corporate and operational address, it's important for pet owners to understand that this is not a walk-in veterinary clinic for pet examinations or immediate "veterinary care." Instead, this facility supports the wider network of veterinary practices throughout Maine and beyond. Its central location in Portland does highlight Maine's role in the broader animal health industry, but direct access for pet owners to veterinary services would typically be through their local vet clinic, which may or may not be a Covetrus partner.

While Covetrus primarily offers business-to-business services for veterinary practices, some of their solutions directly interface with pet owners, aiming to streamline pet care management.

• Online Pharmacy Services (GreatPetCare Integration): Covetrus operates online pharmacies that are often branded and integrated with individual veterinary clinics' websites. This allows pet owners, upon approval from their veterinarian, to order prescription medications, prescription diets, and other pet supplies for home delivery. This aims to provide convenience for repeat purchases and specialized products.

• Pet Parent Portal (GreatPetCare): This platform is designed to strengthen the connection between pet owners and their veterinarians. It offers features such as:

  • Scheduling veterinary appointments.
  • Accessing vaccine records and health histories.
  • Receiving medication and appointment reminders.
  • Viewing invoices and financial records.
  • Accessing educational resources and articles on pet health and wellness.

  • Microchip Registration Support: In instances where pet microchips, such as those from Save this Life, face disruptions, Covetrus assists with re-registration processes to ensure pets can still be tracked if lost.

  • Care Plans: Covetrus offers support for veterinary practices to implement personalized pet care and wellness plans, which pet owners can subscribe to. These plans can cover preventative care, dental care, and even chronic illness management, often with monthly payment options to make care more affordable.

  • Client Communications Tools: While primarily for practices, these tools enable veterinarians to send automated reminders, educational content, and important updates to pet owners, enhancing compliance with care recommendations.

  Covetrus, as a large-scale provider in the veterinary industry, presents several operational aspects and customer experiences that are worth noting based on available public data and reviews:

  • Extensive Product Selection: Covetrus boasts one of the largest product selections in the animal health sector, including over 16,000 products for veterinarians. This means that clinics partnered with Covetrus have access to a wide array of pharmaceuticals, consumables, equipment, diagnostics, and pet nutrition, which indirectly benefits pet owners by providing their vets with diverse options.

  • Emphasis on "Connected Care": Through platforms like GreatPetCare, Covetrus aims to bridge the gap between veterinarians and pet parents by integrating various tools for communication, prescription management, and wellness tracking. This approach seeks to improve client engagement and adherence to veterinary recommendations.

  • Challenges with Customer Service and Shipping: Some past customer reviews, notably from a veterinary office partnered with Covetrus, indicate significant issues with customer service, including "terrible" service, "30+ minutes" on hold, and concerns about responsiveness, particularly when issues arose or when practices considered switching providers. Shipping times have also been described as "horrid," with medications "haphazardly thrown into a box, not bagged or protected."

  • Billing and AutoShip Concerns: One customer reported being "charged full price" after changing an Autoship subscription date and experiencing being "hung up on by their customer service when I inquired about the overcharge." This suggests potential complexities or issues with their billing and Autoship systems for direct consumers.

  • Competitive Pricing Concerns: While Covetrus aims to offer competitive pricing for veterinarians, a direct consumer comparison noted that a specific item on Autoship was "VERY EXPENSIVE through Covetrus!! Much cheaper via Chewy!!" This highlights that consumers should compare prices for pet medications and food across different online providers, even those affiliated with their vet.

  • Legal and Compliance Issues: Public information indicates that Covetrus has faced legal challenges, including pleading guilty to criminal misbranding of veterinary prescription drugs and agreeing to pay significant fines in 2024. These issues underscore the importance of robust quality control and compliance in the pharmaceutical supply chain for animal health.

  To contact Covetrus, particularly for inquiries related to their services or for pet owners using their integrated pharmacy or GreatPetCare platforms, here is their contact information:

  Address: 12 Mountfort St, Portland, ME 04101, USA

  Phone: (877) 999-2838

  Mobile Phone: +1 877-999-2838

  For pet owners seeking assistance with an online pharmacy order or issues related to their pet's profile on a platform integrated with Covetrus, it is often best to first contact your primary veterinary clinic, as they typically manage the direct relationship and can often resolve issues more efficiently. If issues persist or for general inquiries about Covetrus's direct-to-pet-parent platforms, using the provided contact number is the appropriate next step.

  For Maine pet owners, understanding Covetrus's role in "veterinary care" is primarily about recognizing their indirect influence through supporting local veterinary practices and their direct, yet sometimes challenging, interfaces like online pharmacies. While Covetrus aims to provide valuable resources for veterinarians and offers engagement tools for pet parents, the user experience, particularly concerning customer service and shipping, has been a point of concern for some. Therefore, while Covetrus's presence in Portland signifies Maine's role in the larger animal health industry, local pet owners should remain vigilant about direct interactions, comparing prices and verifying order details, especially for critical medications. Ultimately, the quality of "veterinary care" you receive is best ensured through a strong, direct relationship with your trusted local veterinarian, who may or may not be utilizing Covetrus's support services.

Covetrus

12 Mountfort St, Portland, ME 04101, USA