Flea and tick prevention: what a year of each type costs

Flea and tick products are sold in packs of one, three, six, or twelve doses, collars that last months, and chews on their own schedules, so shelf prices cannot be compared at a glance. Cost per month of cover is the number that matters, and it is one division: pack price divided by months of protection the pack provides.

The three formats

Spot-on treatments are applied monthly, so a six-dose box is six months of cover. They are the most heavily promoted format and the one with the widest price spread between brands for the same pet size, which makes them the format where shopping around pays most. The tracked range is in cat flea and tick and dog flea and tick.

Collars look expensive on the shelf and cheap per month: a long-lasting collar worn for its full rated life often works out as the lowest monthly cost of any format. The maths only works if the collar stays on for its whole life, so a collar lost in month two is the most expensive option of all.

Oral chews are usually monthly or quarterly depending on the product, and often need a prescription or a vet relationship in the US, which can add a visit cost the shelf price hides.

Size bands are where prices jump

Almost every product is dosed by weight band, and the price steps up at each band. A pet just over a boundary costs meaningfully more to protect than one just under it, on every dose, all year. When comparing two brands, make sure you are pricing the same weight band, not the headline pack.

Stock-up rules for this category

These products carry expiry dates and the dose only counts if it is in date when applied, so stock one cycle ahead at a genuine low, not a year. Prices here are tracked daily like everything else on this site, and a price alert on your pet's exact product and size band is the easiest way to catch the lows.

This page is about prices only. Which active ingredient and format suits your pet, especially one that is young, pregnant, unwell, or on other medication, is a question for your vet, and cats must never be given a dog-only product: some dog flea ingredients are dangerous to cats. Check the label species before anything else.