How Long Does It Take A Dog To Digest Heartgard? 7 Clear Facts

If you have just given your dog Heartgard to ward off heartworms, you may want to know how long it will take the dog to digest the Heartgard. Read on, for answers.

How long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard? It can take as few as 2 hours and as many as 8 hours for a dog to fully digest Heartgard. But after digestion and absorption, the Heartgard may stay in the dog’s system, working, for as many as 3 or even 4 days.

Thus if you are using Heartgard for dogs heartworm problems, those are the timelines you need to keep in mind.

Actually, these timelines apply for most other heartworm pills as well. Thus, if you were wondering, how long does it take for a heartworm pill to digest, then that should generally be between 2 and 8 hours.

Then the heartworm pill may stay in the dog’s system, working, for 3 or 4 days.

Thus if you are using Interceptor for dogs heartworm problems, these would be more or less the timelines. The same would apply if you were using Tri Heart Plus for dogs heartworm problems.

In answering the how long does it take to digest Heartgard question, there are several factors we need to internalize. For one, we need to understand that different dogs’ digestive systems have different levels of efficiency.

That is how one dog may fully digest Heartgard in 2 hours. Yet another needs as many as 8 hours to fully digest Heartgard.

Further, different dogs’ bodies may have different levels of efficiency, when it comes to excreting medication like Heartgard. That is why one may get all Heartgard out of the system in 3 days. Yet another one requires 4 days for the same.

How Does Heartgard Work In Dogs?

Before proceeding in answering the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard question, we first need to understand how the Heartgard works in dogs.

It really wouldn’t make sense to try to answer the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard question, without insight on how the Heartgard works in dogs.

In any event, once you understand how Heartgard works in dogs, answering the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard question becomes easier.

Now dogs typically take Heartgard orally, in the form of tablets.

Once the Heartgard gets into the dog’s stomach, it undergoes digestion.

After digestion, there is absorption of the Heartgard into the dog’s bloodstream.

Once the Heartgard is in the dog’s digestive system, it kills any heartworms that are there. In the Heartgard, there is a compound we refer to as Ivermectin. It is this compound that actually kills the heartworms.

The Ivermectin in Heartgard specifically kills the larvae of the heartworms, before they are able to mature and reproduce.

So, in a nutshell, that is how Heartgard works in dogs.

At this point, one may ask, does heartworm medicine upset dogs stomach? Actually, going through Heartgard FAQ sections, this question tends to come up quite often.

And the answer is ‘yes’. Heartworm medicine like Heartgard can cause stomach upsets in dogs. For instance, some of the people who use Heartgard Plus for dogs heartworm problems report stomach upsets.

For instance, when dogs are on Heartgard vomiting does at times occur. And in a case where you have a dog vomiting after heartworm pill, it may be due to the stomach upset effect.

But there are also dogs that are able to use Heartgard without suffering stomach upsets. So it doesn’t happen in all cases.

How Long Does It Take A Dog To Digest Heartgard?

It can take between 2 and 8 hours for a dog to fully digest Heartgard.

So that is the simplest answer we can give to the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard question.

But in answering the how long does a dog’s digestive system take to process Heartgard, we do need to take note of certain nuances.

For one, we do need to keep it in mind that there are dogs whose digestive systems are very efficient. Then there are other dogs whose digestive systems are somewhat sluggish.

That is why it may be hard to give a single answer to the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard question. The best we can do is give a range. So we say that it takes between 2 and 8 hours for a dog to fully digest Heartgard.

Further, in answering the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard question, we need to mention that beyond digestion, there is the absorption aspect.

So the digestion of the Heartgard is only one aspect. Beyond it, there is the Heartgard’s absorption, and then working to get rid of heartworms in the dog.

How Long Does It Take For Heartgard To Be Absorbed?

Quite often, alongside the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard question comes this one: on how long it takes for the Heartgard to be absorbed.

Now once the Heartgard undergoes digestion, the next step is that of absorption. It logically follows that as soon as a dog digests Heartgard, it absorbs it.

By absorption, we mean the Heartgard entering the dog’s bloodstream.

So the period of time it takes for Heartgard to undergo digestion is also the period of time it takes for the Heartgard to undergo absorption.

Therefore it can take between 2 and 8 hours for Heartgard’s absorption to be complete.

So for the Heartgard to be absorbed, it first needs to have been digested.

In a case where a dog threw up Heartgard soon after ingestion, chances are that it wouldn’t have been digested. Therefore the question of its absorption wouldn’t be there.

That is specifically if, for instance, the dog threw up heartworm pill immediately after ingestion.

Similarly, a case where my dog poops some of the pieces of Heartgard whole would cause doubt. That is doubt on whether the medication was actually digested.

So there is that clear chain: from Heartgard ingestion to digestion and onto absorption.

Even then, it is worth noting that the Heartgard’s absorption and it actually working to eliminate heartworms are different matters.

How Long Does It Take For Heartgard To Work?

Many of the people who pose the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard are actually interested in knowing how long it takes for Heartgard to work.

The truth of the matter is that Heartgard can take between 3 and 4 days to work fully.

Thus if you give your dog Heartgard today, you should give an allowance of 3 to 4 days. That is before you can start seeing results.

How Long Does Heartgard Stay In A Dog’s System?

Quite often, alongside the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard question comes this one. That is on how long the Heartgard stays in the dog’s system.

So, indeed, how long does Heartgard stay in system? The answer is that Heartgard stays in the dog’s system for 3 to 4 days, before it is fully excreted.

Thus if you were wondering, how long does Heartgard last in the dog’s system, now you know. The answer is 3 to 4 days.

How Long Do Heartgard Side Effects Last?

Sometimes, the person posing the how long does it take a dog to digest Heartgard question may have an interest in knowing how long the Heartgard’s side effect’s last.

First of all, what are Heartgard’s side effects?

Heartgard for dogs may cause side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, excessive salivation and perhaps a bit of staggering.

Now most of these side effects last for as long as  the Heartgard is in the dog’s bloodstream. This means that they can last for as many as 3 or 4 days, until the Heartgard is fully excreted.

Thus, even a case where a dog threw up day after heartworm pill ingestion, that may still be due to the pill’s side effects.

Here, one may ask, what happens if your dog takes too much Heartgard medicine?

And the answer is that the dog may develop problems such as depression, drooling, staggering (ataxia) and possibly go into a coma which may then lead to death.

But most of those are things that may only happen if, for instance, a dog happens to eat a whole packet of Heartgard.

Most of the Heartgard dogs get is unlikely to cause such effects, even in extremely sensitive dogs such as collies.

Final Verdict – How Long Does It Take A Dog To Digest Heartgard

It normally takes between 2 and 8 hours for a dog to fully digest Heartgard.

After digestion comes the absorption of the Heartgard. This absorption occurs alongside the digestion: such that as soon as a certain quantity of Heartgard is fully digested, it enters the bloodstream.

Once in the bloodstream, the Heartgard may take 3 to 4 days to work fully.

Therefore if you gave your dog Heartgard, that is how long it may take, to start seeing results.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet dog a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️