Diatomaceous Earth

I read about Diatomaceous Earth on another post and I'm interested in learning more. Sonny currently has a Staph infection and they are trying to find out what caused it, but one of the possibilities is an allergy to flea bites??? Anyways if this is the case I want to do everything I can to protect Sonny from fleas. We live in California and our temperature is very mild all year around which I think means we will have fleas all year around. We currently protect Sonny with Advantage II. Has anyone used Advantage and Diatomaceous Earth at the same time or is that too much? Or could I just sprinkle the DE around my yard and continue to use Advantage??? Sonny LOVES to play outside in the backyard and he has been crying because I won't let him play out there, but I am worried he is going to get more bites.

We aren't really sure yet what caused these bumps and infection, so fleas may not even be a problem (we are also looking at autoimmune like hypothyroid and other things), but I am just trying to prepare so that we can prevent this from happening again.

I find the topical flea protection doesn't last a full month, and sometimes doesn't even slow fleas down. I have known several dogs who cower and cringe when they see the tube, I think it burns their skin.

I have been extremely happy with sentinel (which acts has a heartworm medication as well), I supplement with advantage if needed (usually only in July and August). There is also trifexis which is another flea/heartworm combo, I have never used, but it is supposed to be more effective against fleas than sentinel. I also always felt that revolution was a good product, but it never caught on, and many vets and retailers don't stock it.

I'm in new orleans, so fleas are a year round problem.

I wouldn't stop your dog from playing outside over fleas.

I have no experience with diatomaceous earth, but I would only invest in a small amount if you decide to try it. If you are looking for a natural product to use immediately before going outside, also consider Neem products, i have never used them either, but they sound more realistic in my opinion.

I also find that the spot on treatments dont work as well as other products.
I usually have Kokoda on Sentinel as well, but he is currently on Advantage or advocate (one of those, can't rememebr which but they are pretty much the same) because he has a small case of demodectic mange.
My vet said i will probably notice him scratching alot more with the adv-something, because it often rubs off and isn't as effective as something like sentinel.

I also have never used DE, but have heard about it. What is it exactly?

It is pricy but I can't say enough good things about Comfortis. I feel that it is sooooo effective and sooooo much safer than the flea treatments which can be harsh.

eg93 said:

It is pricy but I can't say enough good things about Comfortis. I feel that it is sooooo effective and sooooo much safer than the flea treatments which can be harsh.

Click to expand...

I agree completely. We used to use this one. I only switched to Sentinel because it does heartworm as well so i didn't have to feed him so many chews each month.

We do comfortis...worth every penny! We have fleas year round in Sydney too, and the spot ons were just not doing enough (and Brooky has flea allergy dermatitis so she need to be fully protected). Comfortis solved our problem in one month, never saw a flea again.

I do use Advantix in addition during the tick months through because we have to prevent from paralysis ticks here.

I bought a bag of DE. It is still in the garage, but what I know is buy food grade and wear a mask when applying it as the dust particles can get in your lungs.

That part worries me a bit about using it for the dogs!! But my intent was to put it in the backyard to control pests out there. We seem to get a lot of rain here so I wasn't too concerned about dust particles flying up once applied outside. You might try searching the board. There may be other threads on Diatomaceous Earth.

BTW, I would have no qualms whatsoever about using DE and Frontline at the same time. They are different things and work different ways. The DE hopefully would kill enough fleas you don't need another flea protection on the dog, but if you are worried about infections or allergies, I'd use both. Plus, if you ever walk your dog outside your backyard, treating your backyard is not going to be much help. My dogs would go insane without their daily walks.

Diatomaceous Earth is used often in livestock. I know lots of farmers who use it on there dogs as well. DE is also used in some human foods to keep parasites out.

DE is fossilized remains of an algea called diatoms. DE is thought to work because the sharp edged will cut through insects and insect larve. This caused the insect or larva to dry out and die. DE is not sharp to the human touch. Looks and feels kind of like flour.

I personally use it around the chicken & goat houses for the last 3 months. I also feed it as part of a chemical free worming program for the chickens and goats. I'm skeptical if it actually works internally on worms but I've been trying it out. Most people seem to agree that DE does not work when it gets wet but it will work again when it dries out. Some think it works because once it gets passed into the animals poo, the poo dries out (along with the DE), then it will kill the parasite larva in the poo thus preventing the larva from being ingested into a new host. I have noticed a significant improvement in my animals since using it but I have been using it in conjunction with other herbs and foods (Apple cider vinegar & garlic to name a few). I have also been dusting the chickens and goats once a month with it. I have no mites or lice but I'm not going to swear it's the DE. Could be the Apple cider vinegar in the water? Could be the herbs in the food? I also noticed a very quick and drastic decrease in flies around the chicken coop.

I don't sprinkle DE around my yard simply because I want bugs and insects around for the chickens. My dogs have more then once (arg, more like every night) run to the chicken bowls and try to gulp down any extra food. I don't let them eat it but they usually end up grabbing a mouthful before I can round up all the bowls. Has not hurt anyone. I personally would add a small spoonful to there dinner bowls but I'm not sure how it would mix with all the medications they are on.

I am personal friends with a couple small scale farmers who swear by DE. Talking to people in forms I find a lot of gardeners and farmers swear by it. More so then people using it for livestock.

I would have to say I see no reason not to try it. Just keep a close eye out for fleas... If you have a flea problem then it may be time to try something else. Yes, they say don't breath it in. Just don't stick your head in the bag and breath in. Stay upwind when you sprinkle it. I have been using it for 3 months. I feed it every day to the animals. Never had a problem. My animals eat it which means they are close to it (breathing). No one has so much as coughed or sneezed. Treat it like you would flour in the kitchen. Oh, and MAKE SURE it's Food Grade. =) I can by a HUGE bag from the local tractor supply for $12. It goes a REALLY long way. So it's not a huge investment

If you do a internet search you will find all kinds of sites talking about it. Here are two I found informative:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html

Thanks everyone. I'm definitely going to talk about all of these options with my vet and hopefully get Sonny better protected. I always thought that you just dab some spot on flea treatment each month and they are good to go, but this is obviously another thing on the list I have learned as a new dog owner. :thnku:

Lani said:

I bought a bag of DE. It is still in the garage, but what I know is buy food grade and wear a mask when applying it as the dust particles can get in your lungs.

That part worries me a bit about using it for the dogs!! But my intent was to put it in the backyard to control pests out there. We seem to get a lot of rain here so I wasn't too concerned about dust particles flying up once applied outside. You might try searching the board. There may be other threads on Diatomaceous Earth.

BTW, I would have no qualms whatsoever about using DE and Frontline at the same time. They are different things and work different ways. The DE hopefully would kill enough fleas you don't need another flea protection on the dog, but if you are worried about infections or allergies, I'd use both. Plus, if you ever walk your dog outside your backyard, treating your backyard is not going to be much help. My dogs would go insane without their daily walks.

Click to expand...

You brought up a really good point! Sonny goes on three walks a day, so I guess controlling the environment in our backyard wouldn't be the complete answer.

BrooklynMom said:

We do comfortis...worth every penny! We have fleas year round in Sydney too, and the spot ons were just not doing enough (and Brooky has flea allergy dermatitis so she need to be fully protected). Comfortis solved our problem in one month, never saw a flea again.

I do use Advantix in addition during the tick months through because we have to prevent from paralysis ticks here.

Click to expand...

I'm curious. How did you guys determine that Brooklyn has flea allergy dermatitis? Did you do allergy testing or did the vet just know? I think that is what the vet thinks Sonny might have and he bit at the bumps which caused the Staph infection.

We can't use Advantix because of our kitty. I guess it's lethal to cats. :*gh: But I am trying to figure out tick protection right now too. So many things to protect against :sl*p:

Lani said:

I bought a bag of DE. It is still in the garage, but what I know is buy food grade and wear a mask when applying it as the dust particles can get in your lungs.

That part worries me a bit about using it for the dogs!! But my intent was to put it in the backyard to control pests out there. We seem to get a lot of rain here so I wasn't too concerned about dust particles flying up once applied outside. You might try searching the board. There may be other threads on Diatomaceous Earth.

BTW, I would have no qualms whatsoever about using DE and Frontline at the same time. They are different things and work different ways. The DE hopefully would kill enough fleas you don't need another flea protection on the dog, but if you are worried about infections or allergies, I'd use both. Plus, if you ever walk your dog outside your backyard, treating your backyard is not going to be much help. My dogs would go insane without their daily walks.

Click to expand...

Dont even get me started in frontline.. The most toxic stuff around. Killed my friends dog (seizured after frontline) and gave my dog 2 neurological breakdowns.
Stay away from frontline!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Blondiemonster said:

Dont even get me started in frontline.. The most toxic stuff around. Killed my friends dog (seizured after frontline) and gave my dog 2 neurological breakdowns.
Stay away from frontline!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

I agree completely. My breeder warned me about Frontline from the get go and I have seen dogs suffer seizures and other neurological issues because of it.

But millions of dogs worldwide also use Frontline with no problem. And if you read the small print, seizures are listed as a potential (and rare) side affect for just about any flea treatment, including Comfortis:

http://www.comfortis4dogs.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Important Safety InformationThe most common adverse reaction reported is vomiting.
Other adverse reactions reported in decreasing order of frequency are: depression/lethargy, decreased appetite, incoordination, diarrhea, itching, trembling, excessive salivation and seizures.

Click to expand...

And Advantix http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=0+1303+1463&aid=1457:

May see drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, incoordination, increased excitability, seizures, or change in body temperature (higher or lower).

Click to expand...

It is extremely unfortunate when dogs have reactions -- definitely avoid anything that has caused any problems even once.

Some dogs can be sensitive to one ingredient or another. ALL these chemical based flea treatments mean you are introducing chemical pesticides into your dog's bloodstream, so there are pros and cons some may wish to consider. Some swear by more holistic/natural treatments, but many find they do little to nothing.

The whole are is worth reading up about before deciding on a product.

In Ireland I only find I need to treat for fleas a couple times a year, and have used Frontline, Revolution, Advantix and generic products with no issues over many years. We do not have to treat for heartworm here.

Very interesting info on DE, never heard of it being used orally!