One thing I'm going to add here that is beyond the actual statistics, theories and various schools of thought. I am certain that each year, month, week etc....there are many pups who die from heartworm, not like epidemic but many more than are recorded or reflected in the statistics.
Why? Because it is fact, that many many people don't take the time to have their CRITICALLY ILL pups tested and take the euthanasia route instead. Additionally, many pups become so sick and die and their brilliant owners don't take the time to have a necropsy done. Period.
How many folks know someone (rhetorically asking) who have had a pup that "had to be put down because of some unknown illness including pnuemonia (symptomatic of heartworm), heart failure (symptomatic of heartworm) liver failure (jaundice symptomatic of heartworm) etc...many times vets give an estimate of charges.....and well unlike me and many of you they aren't willing to pay out the big bucks....."??? I'm guessing a fair number of those are heartworm infected pups. Sad but true.
As far as I'm concerned, Heartworm prevention is a proven method, there will always be the exception, but I'd rather know that I did everything I could to prevent any suffering or disease in my pup, heartworm disease in pups is horrible....both the illness and the treatment....I'm not willing to gamble.
Bayer commends AHS and CAPC for updated heartworm guidelines - WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi