[yurikahanachi]

Okay, my dog once got fleas. You know, these parasites are very ugly and their saliva can cause serious problems to dogs and cats.

One of my friends told me about Diatomaceus Earth (only use food grade). I tried and it worked.

All of the fleas are gone completely.

So I did a small research on the Internet. The Internet showed that Diatomaceus Earth can break the exoskeleton of fleas and dehydrate it. Moreover, DE (Food grade) can kill other parasites like heartworms or tapeworms. So, one stone can kill many birds.

What's your point of view? Do you find Diatomaceus Earth effective? Do you use Diatomaceus Earth instead of buying expensive over-the-counter products?

 

[luv mi pets]

DE will not kill heartworms. It will kill only parasites that are in the GI system and not the bloodstream where heartworms live.

 

[krystina alayne]

ive never heard of that, but ill try it if winston ever gets fleas!

 

[lizbethc38]

We live in FL where there is no 'off' season for bugs. I don't use conventional pesticides in my house or on my dog. When we had carpeting, I used diatomaceous earth (food grade, not pool) sprinkled along the baseboards. While we briefly stayed at a friend's vacation home before buying our house, it had a flea infestation. I sprinkled the DE like carpet fresh (wearing a dust mask) & on all fabric furniture, left it for a day & then vacuumed with a bag vacuum, not bagless & threw away the bag immediately. I found DE highly effective for carpeting & fabric furniture.
You can actually rub FOOD GRADE DE into your pet's fur & bedding, just don't puff it around too much as it isn't good to breathe in. DE is finely ground 'shells' that are like ground glass to bugs. I've read that some people have their pets ingest it, but I haven't done that.
I combine DE w/other IPM methods & Muggsy is not bothered by fleas.
I use a flea comb on Muggsy after all walks & any time he's been out in the yard longer than just a pee. I keep a 'death jar' near by filled with water, liquid soap & rubbing alcohol. I wipe his paws w/an Earth Bath unscented wipe checking between his toes & paw pads. It may sound like a lot of work, but it's less than 5 minutes of my time.
I spray my yard with EcoSmart Tick & Mosquito control that uses essential oils. I use Cedarcide pellets around the foundation of my home & keep all foliage from butting up against the house.
I vacuum very regularly & wash his beds in hot water every week. I don't have any beds for him that can't be thrown in the washer, but they do make beds stuffed with cedar chips & removable covers. I've found that I don't need DE inside anymore w/all the other IPM & now only hard surface floors.
With topicals, the bugs have to bite your dog in order to be killed, so any dog w/flea allergies is still going to have a reaction to the saliva. Some repel (supposedly), but when I used Advantix on Muggsy a few times before I really looked into it, it didn't seem to repel at all.
I do give a heartworm med though (Heartgard). Haven't found a way around using it & he needs year round protection.
Only Natural Pet's newsletter this month is about natural flea protection. They have a nice DE that has other herbs in it. http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/mail/032912p.html
Much longer repsonse than I intended! :doh:

 

[perlita]

I'm glad to see this thread, I was going to start one! I hope to find some DE here in Costa Rica and use it instead of front line. Hope to see more people's responses about their experiences.

 

[Sasha1/2]

I've just discovered that Sasha has tape worms. I'm debating whether to treat her with food grade DE, 1 tablespoon in her food every day for a month, or a chemical dewormer. Do any of you have experiences with this?