Vets First Choice

What Vets First Choice does

Vets First Choice is a veterinary services platform founded in 2009 that provides online pharmacy, home delivery, and practice management solutions to veterinary practices across the United States and globally. The company historically offered veterinary practices an online pharmacy storefront with home delivery services, prescription management tools, and compounding pharmacy capabilities. Following its acquisition by Henry Schein Animal Health in December 2018, the business became part of Covetrus when Henry Schein spun off its animal health operations in 2019, and Covetrus was subsequently acquired by Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen) in 2024.

The current operating entity, Covetrus, operates a unified cloud platform that integrates practice management software (Pulse, Avimark, Impromed, VetSuite), prescription management (vRxPro, Online Pharmacy, Covetrus Compounding), client engagement tools (CarePlans, Comms, Pet Parent Portal), payment processing, diagnostics, and supply chain distribution (Covetrus Supply) into a connected workflow spanning pre-visit to post-appointment. Underlying technology includes the proprietary Covetrus Platform architecture, dedicated practice management databases, integrated prescription processing systems, and an AI layer branded as Covetrus AI. The product portfolio spans acquired brands retained for market segmentation alongside organic platform products.

The business model combines subscription-based practice software revenue (annual billing cycles for Pulse, VetSuite, vRxPro, CarePlans), transaction-based online pharmacy and supply chain distribution revenue (medications, supplies, and equipment procurement), compounding pharmacy service revenue (personalized pet medications), and enterprise contracts with corporate veterinary accounts. The go-to-market employs an enterprise field sales motion with quote-based pricing requiring demo consultations, supported by multi-channel marketing including content marketing, industry events, webinars, and direct engagement with veterinary professionals. Customer segments include independent veterinary clinics, large veterinary hospital groups, corporate veterinary chains (primary business segment), and pet parents (secondary consumer segment) across 14+ countries.

Name

Vets First Choice

Legal name

Covetrus, Inc.

Website

https://vetsfirstchoice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Vets First Choice, now operating as part of Covetrus, provides veterinary practices with an integrated platform combining online pharmacy, home delivery, compounding services, practice management software, and supply chain distribution, serving independent clinics, hospital groups, and corporate veterinary chains across 14+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Practice Management Software

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Practice Management Software (PIMS/EMR, Scheduling, Billing) (HLAMAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Inventory, Pharmacy & Medication Management (HLAMAMAF), E‑prescribing, Pharmacy Ordering & Medication Management (Rx, Refills, Home Delivery Integrations) (HLAMAGAF), Online Veterinary Pharmacies & E-commerce Retailers (HLAMAIAF)

Keywords

• Veterinary practice software
• Online pet pharmacy
• Practice management platform
• Veterinary prescription management
• Veterinary compounding pharmacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Online Pharmacy Services: The platform generates revenue through fully managed online pharmacy services that help veterinary practices increase treatment compliance and generate revenue. The system enables home delivery of prescriptions, contributing to practice revenue streams.
2. Practice Management Software: Covetrus Pulse and related practice management software provides workflow and productivity tools for veterinary practices, likely through recurring subscription model.
3. Supply Chain and Products: Distribution of medications, supplies, and equipment to veterinary practices through the Covetrus Supply platform.
4. Compounding Services: Customized pet medication compounding services that add personalized care capabilities to the practice offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vets First Choice provides veterinary practices with a fully managed online pharmacy and home delivery service, enabling practices to fulfill prescriptions, manage refills, and improve treatment compliance. Through its integration into the Covetrus Platform, it now also delivers practice management software, prescription management (vRxPro), client engagement tools (CarePlans, Comms, Pet Parent Portal), compounding pharmacy services, payment processing, and supply chain distribution of medications, supplies, and equipment to veterinary practices.

Product overview

Covetrus operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on the Covetrus® Platform, which serves as the unified hub integrating veterinary practice workflows from pre-visit to post-appointment. The platform is complemented by VetSuite®, a comprehensive suite combining practice management software (Pulse®), prescription management (vRxPro™, Online Pharmacy, Covetrus Compounding), client engagement tools (Covetrus CarePlans™, Covetrus Comms, Pet Parent Portal), payment processing (Covetrus Payments), and diagnostics. The product portfolio also includes acquired brands Avimark® and Impromed® for practice management, along with supply chain solutions (Covetrus Supply, equipment, branded products). Covetrus AI adds an intelligence layer across the platform for analytics capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VetSuite: Practice management software platform for veterinary practices
• vRxPro
• Pulse
• CarePlans
• Covetrus Comms
• Covetrus Payments
• Covetrus Compounding
• Online Pharmacy

Products and services

• Online Pharmacy Fully managed online storefront solution that simplifies prescription processes, helps increase treatment compliance, and generates practice revenue through home delivery of pet medications.
• Covetrus Compounding Compounding services delivering personalized pet-friendly medications customized by dosage, strength, form, and flavor to reduce pet stress and increase treatment compliance.
• Pulse Practice management software for workflow and productivity, enabling veterinarians to manage appointments, records, and daily operations.
• VetSuite Comprehensive suite of veterinary practice management solutions combining workflow tools, client engagement, and practice analytics.
• Covetrus Platform Unified cloud platform that integrates practice management, prescription management, client engagement, and supply chain tools into a connected workflow from pre-visit to post-appointment.
• Covetrus Supply Medications and supplies procurement solution providing access to pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for veterinary practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of pet parents purchasing online at least once a week - driving demand for integrated online pharmacy solutions

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Manufacturer PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCovetrus maintains manufacturer partnerships to distribute veterinary medications, supplies, and equipment through its platform. The manufacturer partners section is listed as a core component of the Covetrus Platform offerings.
• Industry PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCovetrus collaborates with industry partners as part of its comprehensive platform strategy, integrating with broader veterinary industry stakeholders to deliver connected solutions.
• ChewyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChewy acquired Covetrus's Massachusetts-based equine health division in an all-cash deal expected to close in late 2025, pending regulatory approval. This represents a strategic divestiture by Covetrus to focus on core business operations.
• PetMed ExpressminorOthersPetMed Express is identified as a key player in the online veterinary prescriptions market in market analysis coverage. Not a direct partnership but a market competitor and context reference for Covetrus's market position.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ezyVet: Cloud-native veterinary practice management software serving small animal and specialty practices globally. Directly competes with Covetrus Pulse, VetSuite, Avimark, and Impromed on the workflow and EMR layer of the stack.
• IDEXX Laboratories: Global leader in veterinary diagnostics with a growing software footprint (Cornerstone, ezyVet after acquisition, NEO). Competes head-on with Covetrus's practice management, prescription, and diagnostic integration offerings for the same veterinary practice buyer.
• Patterson Companies (Patterson Veterinary): Major veterinary distributor with practice management software (AVImark, iM3) and supply chain services. Overlaps directly with Covetrus's distribution, practice management, and integrated platform strategy for independent and corporate practices.
• PetMed Express (1-800-PetMeds): Largest US online pet pharmacy retailer, competing directly with Covetrus's Online Pharmacy and home delivery offering. Identified in the company data as a key market competitor for online veterinary prescriptions.
• Chewy: Chewy Pharmacy plus Chewy's 2025 acquisition of Covetrus's equine health division establishes it as both a direct pharmacy competitor and an increasingly adjacent player in veterinary services. Competes for pet parent prescription spend that Covetrus aims to keep inside the veterinary channel.
• Digitail: Cloud veterinary practice management software with integrated pet parent app and telehealth features. Competes with Covetrus on the practice workflow layer, especially for digitally-forward independent clinics.
• Provet Cloud: Cloud-based veterinary practice management platform serving small and large practices with workflow and client engagement tools. Competes directly with Covetrus Pulse and CarePlans for cloud-first veterinary customers.

Emerging players

• Vetcove: Online veterinary supply marketplace letting practices compare and order from multiple distributors. Competes with the supply chain side of the Covetrus Platform by aggregating third-party distributor catalogs.
• WhiskerDocs: Telehealth and triage service for pet parents, partnering with veterinary practices and pet retailers. Adjacent competitor to Covetrus's client engagement and prescription modules, especially for chronic care and refill workflows.

Others

• Henry Schein Animal Health: Former parent organization that acquired Vets First Choice in 2018 and spun Covetrus out in 2019; continues to operate as an animal health distribution and technology provider. A historically connected rather than directly competing entity today.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/covetrusnorthamerica
• Facebookfacebook.com/vetsfirstchoice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vets-first-choice
• Xx.com/vetsfirstchoice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds11 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vets First Choice