# Diatomaceous Earth



## Alena Gonzalez (May 22, 2014)

Does anyone use diatomaceous earth daily instead of typical heartworm preventative? 


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## KaiserandStella (Feb 27, 2014)

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth works great for parasites in the intestinal tract except for tapeworms. They survive it. Unfortunately also doesn't work on heartworms.


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## counter (Feb 20, 2009)

I use the food grade DE when I have it. I'm currently out. We've never had problems with worms. Do you have any questions about it that we might be able to help answer?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Lord no! Heartworms are in the blood; DE would do nothing.

FWIW I have no problems with worms either and don't use HW medicines that kill intestinal worms or flea/tick medications either and my dog gets out in areas frequented by other dogs and wildlife a lot .. I gather the jury is out in regards to intestinal track. Several posts on that here.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I use DE in and around my chicken coop, I do NOT use it for my dogs.


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## Alena Gonzalez (May 22, 2014)

counter said:


> I use the food grade DE when I have it. I'm currently out. We've never had problems with worms. Do you have any questions about it that we might be able to help answer?



I've read it will prevent heartworms as well. Is this true?


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

DE works well EXTERNALLY, it **must** be dry to work. Will not work in a wet environment, defeats the purpose of dehydrating the bug.

Definitely won't help for heartworm, they are not even located in the GI tract.


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## Alena Gonzalez (May 22, 2014)

This is why I asked. There are so many conflicting articles online about it. I suppose using it for intestinal parasites would help the dogs immune system in order to fight off heart worms if exposed. I've always use the heart guard on my other dogs and spread it out a little more like six weeks. If any of you guys use that? I use advantage against fleas and have had no problem. I do not like the combo pills that you give every month. I use the flea preventative only in the summer but because I live in Texas outside of Houston I have to use something against heartworm all year long


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Doesn't work internally, has to be dry.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I want to clarify.......I do not give my dog DE for anything.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

DE is awesome (must be food grade). I do not give it to my dog either but put it in the yard every summer.

I have heard of some people feeding it for some parasites but never anything about heartworms.

Some have put ON the dog for fleas - but it's SO drying. I think on the skin would be uncomfortable. I hate when it gets on my hands.


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## GSxOwner (Jul 9, 2013)

I am EXTREMELY cautious when handling DE. Are you using it in powder form? I have only ever used DE in work and it's classfied as carcinogenic. No one touches the stuff without overalls, boots, gloves, and a full face respirator. Yes DE is fossilized aquatic life but inhaling it in a fine powder is very bad for you. Interesting to google how its used for dogs and horses.

But to answer your question I have not used DE with my animals lol.

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## KaiserandStella (Feb 27, 2014)

There is definitely a lot of conflicting info out there about Diatomaceous Earth. Let me clear up some stuff about it. 



GSxOwner said:


> I am EXTREMELY cautious when handling DE. Are you using it in powder form? I have only ever used DE in work and it's classfied as carcinogenic. No one
> 
> touches the stuff without overalls, boots, gloves, and a full face respirator. Yes DE is fossilized aquatic life but inhaling it in a fine powder is very bad for you.
> 
> ...


Diatomaceous Earth is just fossilized Diatom remains. Not dangerous in an of itself. There are three different types out there. Food Grade, Pool grade, and food grade with extra stuff added in varying percentages. Pool grade is chemically processed (carcinogenic) and heat treated (also contains high levels of crystalline silica) This is the hazardous one that you are talking about. People should stay away from this kind. Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is just dried, sifted, and ground so it's safe to use but you want to be sure to use the pure stuff and not the one with other things added in.




blackshep said:


> DE works well EXTERNALLY, it **must** be dry to work. Will not work in a wet environment, defeats the purpose of dehydrating the bug.
> 
> Definitely won't help for heartworm, they are not even located in the GI tract.


Some people say that it loses it's cutting action when wet and some say it doesn't. I wanted to find out one way or another for myself so I did some experiments with it a couple years ago and found that it does indeed work well on intestinal parasites in dogs but seems to not be as effective for external uses when wet. Interesting stuff. Diatomaceous Earth is also said to be good for detoxing.


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## GSxOwner (Jul 9, 2013)

That was very interesting to read ty! Yes it's pool grade the one I handle so that's why I was so surprised to see it pop up on this site haha.

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## KaiserandStella (Feb 27, 2014)

GSxOwner said:


> That was very interesting to read ty! Yes it's pool grade the one I handle so that's why I was so surprised to see it pop up on this site haha.
> 
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You are very welcome. Here is some more info.

Works on:
Roundworms
Whipworms
Hookworms
Pinworms

Doesn't work on:
Tapeworms
Heartworms
Lungworm

But can help to boost the immune system in fighting them off. It has many, many uses. Some of which are to clean up toxic substances and in pools to filter out impurities. It's said that the pure food grade variety can also do the same for the body as it passes through the intestinal tract.

Diatomaceous Earth is hard/sharp/abrasive. I think the reason it works on intestinal parasites may be because in the gut the parasites are moving about and pushed along through it getting cut up in the process. Externally insects could carefully walk over it when it's wet.


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## Mikelia (Aug 29, 2012)

I know a couple that eat de every day - it's supposed to be good for a lot of things (cholesterol I believe is one). They've been eating it daily for years and seem to be very healthy people.
I have only ever used it for a baby snake I rescued that was infested with mites. I would put him in a container and lightly coat him with de for an hour and sprinkled a bit at the bottom of his tank under newspaper so he wouldn't lie directly on it. Did this three times and the mites were gone. I was impressed. But it is VERY dehydrating - he looked like a dried up prune until his next shed.


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