Diatomaceous earth--- Really that harmless?????

[CommonSense106]

That guy doesn't know what he's talking about. Diatomaceous earth is completely organic - it is the remains of little critters. Do a search on the internet and you can get a lot of info on it.

Asbestos is also organic!!! Problem with both is the reaction of the lungs, being unable to process out of the body, surrounding with scar-like tissue, and either can cause cancer & permanent lung damage (very small amounts lead to cancer). Use with great caution and never where it can be breathed, at application or by secondary contact.

 

[strega]

Hi, I just joined so that I could answer your question regarding CODEX on Diatomaceous Earth label. This product, (I bought some a few days ago) is mined in British Columbia
thus they use the Canadian designation rather than the EPA approval applied for 'food safe' in the U.S. Same thing.

I went to their website to read about the product and to learn if I could dose my kitten with it for worms rather than relying on the strong meds the Vet prescribes. The answer
is 'yes' it's safe for cats, dogs, horses, chickens, other livestock and.....people.

Check out their website for further info. This brand also contains bentonite clay which is recommended by naturopaths for protection from radiation/fall out. So, two good
ingredients, no synthetics. It's not only good for worming, it also apparently will normalize bowel health in all mammals, including people. Hope this helps. Just google Red Earth
Diatomaceous Earth.

One other use: I have a pimiento plant that's had peppers growing on it all winter. Had problem with aphids or white fly. Had to paint each leaf with diluted dish soap and water
just to keep ahead of the creepy little devils. Found out that D.E. kills aphids, applied it to the soil and then watered. Bugs are gone. Peppers are happy and so am I. No chemicals,
no nasty odors and the minerals in the D.E. will significantly add to the soil.

 

[sportpony]

Diatomaceous earth is crushed oyster shells. It has been widely promoted as a non chemical dewormer. There are several studies outlining the dangers of using it for this purpose, but a whole industry has been built around the use of DE in Canada ( alot of high end horse supplements contain it), so the results have been kept quiet. Feeding it to an animal is the equivalent of feeding them glass shards. In terms of worms, the parasite has already embedded in the gut wall, so it's a lot like ticks, the back end is scraped off, leaving the worm head intact. DE is awesome in your garden, as a fertilizer and in areas where you want to keep fly populations under control. Flies landing in DE, get their feet and wings ripped up. I haven't had access to the studies, only heard of them from my equine nutritionist, and had it confirmed by my vet (also a research vet), as well as my neighbor a PhD, and post doc in parasitology.

 

[sportpony]

Diatomaceous earth is crushed oyster shells. It has been widely promoted as a non chemical dewormer. There are several studies outlining the dangers of using it for this purpose, but a whole industry has been built around the use of DE in Canada ( alot of high end horse supplements contain it), so the results have been kept quiet. Feeding it to an animal is the equivalent of feeding them glass shards. In terms of worms, the parasite has already embedded in the gut wall, so it's a lot like ticks, the back end is scraped off, leaving the worm head intact. DE is awesome in your garden, as a fertilizer and in areas where you want to keep fly populations under control. Flies landing in DE, get their feet and wings ripped up. I haven't had access to the studies, only heard of them from my equine nutritionist, and had it confirmed by my vet (also a research vet), as well as my neighbor a PhD, and post doc in parasitology.

 

[chickbird]

Hi, I just joined so that I could answer your question regarding CODEX on Diatomaceous Earth label. This product, (I bought some a few days ago) is mined in British Columbia
thus they use the Canadian designation rather than the EPA approval applied for 'food safe' in the U.S. Same thing.

I went to their website to read about the product and to learn if I could dose my kitten with it for worms rather than relying on the strong meds the Vet prescribes. The answer
is 'yes' it's safe for cats, dogs, horses, chickens, other livestock and.....people.

Check out their website for further info. This brand also contains bentonite clay which is recommended by naturopaths for protection from radiation/fall out. So, two good
ingredients, no synthetics. It's not only good for worming, it also apparently will normalize bowel health in all mammals, including people. Hope this helps. Just google Red Earth
Diatomaceous Earth.

One other use: I have a pimiento plant that's had peppers growing on it all winter. Had problem with aphids or white fly. Had to paint each leaf with diluted dish soap and water
just to keep ahead of the creepy little devils. Found out that D.E. kills aphids, applied it to the soil and then watered. Bugs are gone. Peppers are happy and so am I. No chemicals,
no nasty odors and the minerals in the D.E. will significantly add to the soil.

It is very harmful to our lungs and to our animals.

 

[chickbird]

Diatomaceous earth is crushed oyster shells. It has been widely promoted as a non chemical dewormer. There are several studies outlining the dangers of using it for this purpose, but a whole industry has been built around the use of DE in Canada ( alot of high end horse supplements contain it), so the results have been kept quiet. Feeding it to an animal is the equivalent of feeding them glass shards. In terms of worms, the parasite has already embedded in the gut wall, so it's a lot like ticks, the back end is scraped off, leaving the worm head intact. DE is awesome in your garden, as a fertilizer and in areas where you want to keep fly populations under control. Flies landing in DE, get their feet and wings ripped up. I haven't had access to the studies, only heard of them from my equine nutritionist, and had it confirmed by my vet (also a research vet), as well as my neighbor a PhD, and post doc in parasitology.

IT IS NOT CRUSHED OYSTER SHELLS BUT MINED EARTH CONTAINING SILICA, A MILD ABRASIVE.

 

[Mybabyblue]

Good info, thanks for sharing!

 

[erinangele]

I mix a little in with the pine shavings in the coop for a couple years now. I have been very happy with it. Over the past few months I have noticed my hen's feathers were not looking their best (bald spots and pecked at). Thinking it could be caused by mites I rubbed some DE on them and within a week they were all growing new feathers!

Also...

A couple months ago my puppy had hookworm. Treated her with a de-wormer from the vet. A couple weeks later it came back (which is to be expected because of the life-cycle), de-wormed her again. Then did a little research and saw that feeding DE daily would keep her from getting another outbreak (since it kills any new worms before they can reproduce). I have been feeding her DE for about 5 weeks now, and no more hookworm! After doing a lot of research on DE, I decided to take it myself. Without going into too much detail, I'm convinced it kills worms inside the digestive track. I had other positive side effects as well. Anyone thinking about using it should do their own research. I'm personally very happy using it for myself and my animals

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I mix a little in with the pine shavings in the coop for a couple years now. I have been very happy with it. Over the past few months I have noticed my hen's feathers were not looking their best (bald spots and pecked at). Thinking it could be caused by mites I rubbed some DE on them and within a week they were all growing new feathers!

Also...

A couple months ago my puppy had hookworm. Treated her with a de-wormer from the vet. A couple weeks later it came back (which is to be expected because of the life-cycle), de-wormed her again. Then did a little research and saw that feeding DE daily would keep her from getting another outbreak (since it kills any new worms before they can reproduce). I have been feeding her DE for about 5 weeks now, and no more hookworm! After doing a lot of research on DE, I decided to take it myself. Without going into too much detail, I'm convinced it kills worms inside the digestive track. I had other positive side effects as well. Anyone thinking about using it should do their own research. I'm personally very happy using it for myself and my animals

Do make sure you are using food grade! The other stuff is poisonous.

 

[erinangele]

Do make sure you are using food grade! The other stuff is poisonous.

Yes, I forgot to mention that in my post. I buy Food Grade DE at my local health food store.