Beth G Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Can anyone point me to a good brand of food grade diatomeous earth? I'd like to get my pups on it. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Here is a site that I have purchased DE on. It is quite expensive when you add shipping. D.E. site I have also found it at different feed mills and places around town. I've fed it to my sheep, and dogs for parasite help but found it didn't do much for us. I havea friend who uses it in equal parts in her sheep mineral, don't know if it helps here that much as we still worm about the same amount. It is also in a supplment that I have used called Longeviety sold by Springtime Inc. (I think) I always wondered why they had it in the sup. but it worked great for what I needed so didn't ask. Now I do use it for fly control and bug control in the yard, barn and other places flys are a problem. it doesn't kill the flys but kills the larve. Don't use the swimming pool type, look for the food grade. Check garden stores. Price differences have been huge. Last place I bought it (a feed mill in IL) is was about 32.00 for 50#'s First time I bought it I paid about 7.00 for 5#'s. What are you using it for? Kristen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal & Mad's Mom Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Is it a red clay like substance? I have often wondered why I dont have fleas and ticks here. I wonder if this is why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth G Posted July 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 You feed it to your dogs to help prevent worms and you rub it in their coat to keep fleas off. And yes it has to be the food grade I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie+Tess&Kipp Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 I don't think prevention of worms with diatomaceous earth has been proven yet (some people also use it for horses but my vet recommended we stick with the "usual" wormers so far, and she is very into all the natural stuff.) If it does work, it does not prevent worms, it would just kill the ones that are present, I am pretty sure. I got some DE with a brand name "Flea Away" at the farm/pet supply the other day. I put it on the carpets, etc. yesterday. I haven't sprinkled the dogs yet. They also had boric acid but I felt that was at a ridiculous price so got the DE instead. It works the same way boric acid or ooric acid + salt (which I also use on carpets, floors, etc.) does, it dessicates fleas when they get on the dog (it doesn't actually repel fleas). Allie + Tess & Kipp http://weebordercollie.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartdog Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 This is the brand I use in conjction with the Volhard Diet. It os food grade.. This link is for the small swze-also comes in large. The staff at PHD is very knowledgeable.. Diatomaceous Earth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth G Posted July 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 So are you guys pretty happy with it then? My aim is avoid using harsh chemicals on our dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie+Tess&Kipp Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 I don't know yet... This is the first time I've used it. After reading more about DE, I don't think I want my dogs breathing it, so I am not going to put it on their fur. I am happy using it on the rugs & on their dog beds underneath the slipcovers that are on them. I was VERY happy with the Borax I used last year. I am going to get some more today. I put it all over the house on the floors (hardwood floors with huge gaps between boards) to treat for fleas the previous tenants (we are in a rental right now) left behind. It worked great. Kipp seems to have that kind of dermatitis where he is itchy all the time with just one flea bite once in a while, poor thing. I am going to have to use some kind of chemical, probably, to keep him from being miserable. Tess is so allergic to those topical things that I am very hesitant to use them on Kipp. I thought I'd go with some kind of powder that I could wash off in a hurry if he had a reaction. Poor Tess had lesions all over her from whatever topical thing the vet gave me. And of course it would not wash off--I had to use my own shampoo. Once I used my shampoo, the lesions & open sores :eek: cleared up almost instantly. So I don't want to use chemicals on Kipp that I can't wash off easily, because he and Tess play and wrestle and stuff all the time. What has really worked for me has been neem oil. I put about a tablespoon or two into a bottle of shampoo and/or rinse. I just started a new bottle of shampoo & rinse yesterday and there wasn't any room to put the neem oil in, so I'll mix it in now and then it will be there for the rest of the bottle. Anyway, neem repels bugs of all kinds, from everything... I put it in my own hair conditioner, and you can use it to prevent bugs on plants, even vegetables, I think. I know I never get bug bites when I use it in my hair conditioner. I put it in the laundry soap as well and no bugs in the bed and my husband does not have anywhere near as many bug bites as usual (bugs love him). There are sprays with neem oil in them, but they can be expensive. Neem oil itself is not very expensive, I don't think. I got some from Jefferspet.com. My neighbor up the road swears by her raw diet for her dogs, into which she apparently puts a lot of garlic. That does not work for everyone. The neem does not work for everyone either, but it seems to work for us (except, if Kipp is still itchy, fleas must be bothering him). Allie + Tess & Kipp http://weebordercollie.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 No the DE is not red. It is fossilized sea plants, a very fine white powder. How it works is it gets on the flea or worm and causes it to dehydrate and die. When I've fed it to my sheep as a boost to reg. worming, I was doing fecals and never could see any difference with or without. The thing I did notice was that the sheep would breath it in while eating and not even snort or sneeze. It is the texture of Lime so I thought it might make them sneeze. I did put on a mask when I spread it in the barn or yard but that's only cause it was rather dusty in the air. It really worked for fly control in the barn and other poopy areas. What is neem supposed to do? I tried garlic for ticks and heard people swear by it. Didn't do anything for us. As for me, it gave me a tummy ache, bad smelling burps, and made my eyes feel funny. The dogs didn't have the nicest breath either. I watched one with a sensitive stomach eat way more grass than I was used to seeing him eat after eating the garlic w/dinner. So we gave that up and just keep trudging along with frontline and nightly tick picks. I notice the ticks have cut way back, but I wonder if it's cause they all got on us and I killed them with nightly tick picks? Or it's the extreme heat we're having is keeping them less active. My chigger solution (and I tried anything I could find from healthy to not so healthy) is to keep a bottle of bleach water and a rag by the front door. When I come in I spray myself and the rag and then wipe all over. Chiggers are dwindling like the ticks. I always swim the dogs after a romp in the fields or woods, I think the chiggers hate water. Death to ticks and chiggers! Kristen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie+Tess&Kipp Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Neem just repels the bugs. I think they don't like the way it tastes or something. Not sure. Works for us, though. Allie + Tess & Kipp http://weebordercollie.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.