Has anyone used Diatomaceous earth food grade?

[MBhorses]

Hey has anyone use Diatomacesous earth food grade in your horse or pet feed and pasture and stalls and etc?I was told this stuff is great for worms and fleas and ect.

I would like anyone input on this GOOD AND BAD.

http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp

 

[dannigirl]

I have used it for fleas in the house. It does kill them, but since it is not a poison, it does not have residual effects. You need to keep using it over and over to kill newly hatched eggs and to kill fleas the dogs bring back into the house. I have a friend who feeds it to her horses on a regular basis to get the DE into the manure of the horses to kill fly larva. I don't know how much she feeds--just said she puts a scoopful into every bucket full of feed. I plan to try this next year as she just recently told me about this. She says that you can sprinkle it in the stalls to kill the larva, but by feeding it, it gets into the manure for better coverage. She claims to have no flies in her barn. She still uses her worming rotation because she has not taken any samples to see if her horses still have worms so would rather be sure. If anyone tries it as a wormer, I would be very interested in the results. I have read that it supposed to work in all animals. I just haven't found a way to get it into my dogs on a regular basis to find out about them.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

DE has been tested repeatedly as an antiparasitic and it universally fails.

Dr. Taylor

 

[Cupcake]

If you use it to add to the feed make sure it's not dry as the consistency is like flour and you need to be careful not to breathe it in as well as prevent your horses or other pets from doing so. I dusted my cocker when I discovered a couple of fleas in him and they were gone within a couple of days (also bathed him with blue dawn, it kills fleas). I use DE myself, I stir a large TB in fruit juice and drink it before going to bed. Just make sure you always buy FOOD grade, never POOL grade! I order mine on the net as the one at TSC is different, that one I only use to sprinkle outside, around the house (kills all bugs, incl spiders, fire ants etc) or to dry up the urine in my mini's stall as she always uses the same spot. Its really good for drying things up. Also, the main ingredient in the thrush treatment, I think it's called "no thrush" (and has great reviews on the net) is DE! There are tons of uses for it! Just google it you'll find lots of sites with plenty information.

As far as worming, it may help to add but I wouldn't solely rely on it as a dewormer. It doesn't kill worms on the ground only BUGS! But it does clean out the intestines and blood vessels and is supposed to get rid of heavy metals in the body, not sure how much of that is proven, but I do know that I'm feeling better, more energetic and have had many other benefits since taking it. Also lowers cholesterol and blood pressure.

 

[Carolyn R]

The thought, from what I understand, is that the tiny particles act like glass, cutting apart parasites, larvae and eggs.

I have to say that every vet I have talked to, when bringing it up in conversation has never felt it has any substantial proof backing it as an anti parasitic, just as Dr. Taylor stated, it fails.

I have heard that it does work on ants, it pulls out any moisture in their body, leaving a very dry endoskeleton left behind. One problem.....you must place it around the entire exterior of the house ( they must walk through it) it must be dry outside, once it soaks up water it wil not be able to dust over their bodies as they go through it, and it must be reapplied frequently, ESP. If it rains.

 

[MBhorses]

I was told by a friend they put this in their animals feed and spread it in stalls and outside in their pasture areas.

Thanks all the information.

Melissa

 

[rubyviewminis]

I just have to add that yes I use it in my chicken coops for possible mites or lice as a preventive. Once years ago we tried feeding it to our horses for a year. No change in the fly population. It has been proven repeatedly in studies to only work on crawling insects in the manner Carolyn wrote about. The health benefits are a bunch of hooey. I sure as heck wouldn't ingest it for lowering cholesterol or blood pressure! Vinegar and garlic are safer and would have a small positve health benefit but not DE.

 

[MindyLee]

I would never use it myself or my horses...

However, I do use it in my chicken coop and it dose work there very well for mites. I use to fight with mite infestation non stop and now for over a yr after using DE, I havent had a issue since. Being a chicken breeder/buyer, it has made my life in the coop less stessfull.

 

[Cupcake]

The only one I recommend for human consumption is DE by permaguard. And as far as the health benefits, I can speak for myself as I have been taking it and unless I have personal experience I can't call something a bunch of bull.

If you check the ingredients on your animals' feed, it most likely has DE in it.

 

[rubyviewminis]

DE is USDA approved as an anti-caking agent for animal feed, to control mealworms, to prevent mites from getting into it, and to keep it dry. It is an inert carrier in amounts not to exceed 2%. It is EPA approved for use against indoor and outdoor crawling insects. It's effect, as a physical not chemical insecticide making it organic, is mainly the mined, natural, skeletal remains of phytoplankton or diatoms whose razorsharp edges can lacerate insects waxy exoskeleton and then penetrate and absorb body fluids causing death from dehydration very effectively. Feed labels can be confusing and sometimes (not meaning you in particular) people can confuse Digestable Energy DE for Diatomaceous Earth DE. It does have a mixture of minerals included in it when mined which can possibly be a reason animals or humans can have an improvement. With no regulation, products labeled as natural could be just as toxic as anything else. No safety and toxicity studies have been performed, there is no way to know if it is safe to give such products to your horse or ingest yourself, and there are warnings to try to not inhale the fine particles no matter the grade. Some of these statements were made by Parasitologist's.

I am all about organic, I garden and raise my chickens and horses as organic as is safely possible. I studied in Arizona hands on with some of the best scientist's in their chosen field. And as I said, I too used DE on my Quarter Horses for 12 months with no noticeable effect, then I quit when it was pointed out how un-natural and possibly dangerous feeding DE could be to them. Vinegar and garlic HAVE been proven to be safe and very effective for many health benefits as well as other safe edible product.

This is the only study I could find on DE and lack of studies has nothing to do with a small market for the product. They are trying to find alternative methods for the worming drugs our horse's parasites are becoming resistant to, this study proved DE inconclusive, sometimes good results, sometimes none.

http://healthsil.co....heep-cattle.pdf

 

[Cupcake]

I'm Europen and DE is sold over the counter in every drug store in capsules - and in its natural form for hair, skin and nails for humans (kieselerde/kieselguhr) There are many products on the market that a) work and b) are approved in other countries for human use. Just because the government doesn't put their stamp on it doesn't mean it doesn't work. Everyone including animals has silica in their bodies naturally. And I know for sure that my horses feed has diatomaceous earth in it. Yes, as an anti caking agent most likely but I would imagine not harmful or else it wouldn't be allowed in it.

*European (smart phone being not so smart)

 

[Fantasia]

I have done fecal egg counts after using food grade DE and they have come back as zero. It is also pretty much the only way to deworm one of my cats! I found it speeds up the growth of the mane and tail,my cremello has a shine to his white mane and tail that everybody comments on.

Have used successfully as a flea powder and yes, I use it myself. Have noted more hair (on head!) growing, appetite reduces and helps manage weight plus more energy.

I do know it's not good to use in any animal's feed continually as it known that it can prevent uptake of nutrients in the feed. For humans it is recommended that you take it at least 20mins before eating

 

[Never2Mini]

It is the only thing I have ever used on my 4 yr old Boxer for fleas. I also use it on my barn cats for fleas. It does work but needs put on often during flea season. Once a week works for me. I also dust his bed inside and areas in the yard he hangs out the most. Also great for kitties and puppies that are to young for other types of flea treatments. Never used it for my horses but want to try using in there stalls to dry up pee spots and in my goat run in sheds.