Online shopping has become increasingly popular in recent years, and many businesses have taken advantage of the growing pet industry to enter the e-commerce space with online pet supply stores.
With so many options, it can be difficult to choose where to go for your next bag of pet food.
In this article, we will narrow down the top online pet supply stores, based on what they offer, general costs, return policies, customer satisfaction rating and more.
1. Chewy
The top spot for the best online pet shop goes to Chewy.
They are accredited and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and offer supplies and food for cats, dogs, small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and horses at competitive prices.
They also have an online pharmacy where you can order preventatives and medications to be approved by your veterinarian and then shipped to your doorstep.
Chewy offers free two-day shipping on all orders above $49.00 and offers discounts up to $20.00 on items that you decide to enroll in auto-ship, which delivers the items at regularly scheduled intervals automatically.
They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee for everything except prescription medications, and you can return unwanted items up to a year from purchase.
And did we mention they also have great customer service available at all hours every day?
2. 1-800-PetMeds
The second spot for the best online pet shop goes to 1-800-PetMeds. There’s a unique offering that makes this site slightly better than the next one on this list.
Not only does 1-800-PetMeds have a pharmacy and supplies for cats, dogs, and horses, but they offer compounded medications.
What are compounded medications? Simply put, they are customized for your pet as directed by a veterinarian prescription.
Some of these customizations are adding flavoring to make the medication more appealing, mixing two drugs together for easier administration, and making medications that are normally tablets into a liquid.
1-800-PetMeds is one of the only pet medication compounding pharmacies that also sells other pet supplies.
This company is also accredited and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. In price comparisons of common medications, it is no more expensive than the other top competitors.
They offer free shipping on orders over $49.00, but unlike many other online stores, they currently do not offer auto-ship. Their food and supplies selection is smaller than Chewy’s, but it is still a one-stop-shop for your pet’s needs.
3. Allivet
Allivet is slightly different from the previous two sites because they only offer pet food, medications, and dental care products for cats and dogs and only medications for fish and birds.
However, they do offer a variety of medications and supplies for livestock, including tools for branding, insemination, and milk processing. They also sell supplements, medications, and hoof care supplies for horses.
They are accredited and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. Allivet is comparable in price for medications compared to competitors but is more expensive when it comes to food and has fewer options than Chewy.
Allivet offers free shipping on orders over $49.00 and a 5% discount on all items enrolled in auto-ship.
Their return policy does not allow the return of prescriptions or vaccines, but they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee on over the counter medications and allow returns for 30 days after purchase.
4. Walmart
Walmart is a great store to find almost any kind of product you could want, and pet supplies are no exception. They offer food and other necessary items for cats, dogs, small mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, horses, and chickens.
Walmart also has an online pharmacy for cat and dog prescription medications.
Walmart offers auto-ship and a 5% discount (up to $20.00) on enrolled items, and free two-day shipping on any order over $35.00.
Their return policy does not allow you to get a refund for prescription medications or vaccines, but they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee on most other items so you can return them within 90 days of purchase for a full refund.
Walmart’s prices and selection are better than many of its competitors, and their return policy is very customer-friendly. They offer a great range of products for fish, birds, small mammals, and horses compared to other companies on this list while keeping it as affordable as possible, and so they are a great option for pet owners of all kinds.
5. Amazon
You can find any pet care item you want on Amazon. There are unlimited options when it comes to food and supplies, and you can find the necessary items for almost any kind of pet no matter how rare. However, they do not have an online pet pharmacy.
They are accredited and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. Signing up for an Amazon Prime subscription gets you free shipping on many items, and they offer auto-ship on items like pet food with up to 20% off your order if you are having multiple things delivered at once.
Since there are multiple sellers for most products, you can price shop and find good deals. Amazon also has a flexible return policy with items shipped from their warehouses, and most third-party sellers have similar rules. You can return many items within 30 days of delivery, but there are some exceptions.
Amazon is a great resource, but the quality of foods and supplements can greatly vary between product types and who is selling them. When purchasing these items, always buy from a reputable seller, even if they do not offer the cheapest price.
6. PetSmart
PetSmart is a well-recognized pet supply company that has both an online store and brick and mortar stores across the country and recently bought Chewy (which replaced their site’s online pharmacy).
They carry food and supplies for cats, dogs, small mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles.
You may be wondering why PetSmart is not further up on the list since they own Chewy. This is because they direct their customers to Chewy for prescriptions, so they no longer offer supplies, food, and medications all in one place.
PetSmart offers refunds on everything except prescription medications.
They also offer price matching against competitors and auto-ship with a 5% discount on enrolled items.
They are slightly more expensive than Chewy for the pet foods and supplies available on both sites, but they also carry some products not available on Chewy’s site.
7. Petco
Petco is a pet shop that has its own online pharmacy for dog and cat medications. They offer food and supplies for dogs, cats, small mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles.
Petco offers auto-ship, which they call “repeat delivery,” that includes a 5% discount and free shipping on enrolled items.
They also offer free two-day shipping (with exceptions) on orders above $35.00, which is a significantly lower total than most sites.
Petco accepts returns on most items (besides prescription medications) within 60 days of purchase.
8. Target
Target has a good selection of foods and supplies for cats and dogs, but a limited amount of products for small mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles.
They do not have an online pharmacy for prescriptions, so they only offer over the counter medications online.
Target is accredited and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. They offer auto-ship for things like food, treats, and litter and a 5% discount on enrolled items.
You can return items within 90 days of the purchase date if they are still in “new” condition.
Overall, Target has a decent selection of needed items for your dog or cat, but are lacking for other kinds of pets. Their website is also less user-friendly and more difficult to navigate than the other online stores.
9. Tractor Supply Co.
Tractor Supply Co. has a great range of supplies for every kind of pet and livestock, except reptiles. They do not have a pharmacy, but they do offer over the counter medications and supplements.
They are accredited and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. They offer auto-ship for some pet supplies and a 5% discount on most enrolled items, and you receive free standard shipping on auto-ship orders over $49.00.
Tractor Supply Co. has a 30-day return policy and offer refunds on most items.
Tractor Supply Co. wins points for its variety of supplies for livestock, fish, and birds, but it does not have a pharmacy and is on the higher end when it comes to prices.
10. PetFlow
Pet flow has a great selection of food and supplies for dogs and cats. You can find many different options for foods, treats, litters, beds, and accessories on this site. They also have an online pharmacy.
Pet Flow is accredited and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and donates a bowl of food to an animal in need for every box they ship.
Like the other sites, they offer auto-ship on many items. However, their auto-ship deal is $10 off of the first three orders over $65.00.
They do accept returns (except prescription medications), but only on unopened items over a $10.00 value and within 30 days of the shipping date.
11. GoodRx
Prescription medication is expensive, but Good Rx provides coupons for many prescriptions.
While this list is about the best online pet shops, we wanted to include this website since it can save you a lot of money.
You can also use Good Rx to find deals on heartworm and flea and tick preventatives. Learn more about using these coupons for your pet’s medications here.
Conclusion
All of the websites on this list are great online pet shops. They have slightly different products and prices that they offer, so it can be beneficial to check a few of them when searching for your pet’s next bag of food or a new toy.
Remember that some companies offer price matching, and take advantage of auto-ship deals when possible. Stick to these reputable brands with good prices and wide selections when shopping for your furry companion.