Diatomaceous
Earth
(a safe,
effective alternative to pet parasite control)
Dealing with worms in our
litters had become almost impossible. Some of you may recall our last litter
(Peyton’s); we did everything according to schedule, de-wormer, vaccinations,
etc… only to lose the last two as they approached 6-weeks because the commercial worm treatment did not eliminate them and they reached the puppies’ respiratory system. A
veterinarian informed me that, much like treating viruses and infections with
antibiotics, the de-wormers were becoming less effective as the worms developed
a resistance to those medications, and as I researched this topic further on
the Internet & discussed it with other breeders I found even more support
for this hypothesis.
No matter how careful or
clean you keep your animals & the environment they live in, worms are going
to be an issue. Roundworms are passed from mother to offspring during birth,
and are also present in the mother’s milk even if the mother herself does not have
worms!
Dog and puppy worms come in a
variety of shapes and sizes, and they can be transmitted by fleas (Tapeworms),
by Mosquitoes (Heartworms), can be found in the soil (Whipworms and Hookworms)
and can also be 'caught' by eating other dogs’ poop!
Your fur-babies can also end
up with a worm infestation from eating raw or uncooked meat or fish. I remember
our big guy (Zeus) getting worms from raiding the garbage when he was a pup and
eating some undercooked pork that had been thrown out. We had to take him to
the vet twice for the same infestation because the first treatment did not do
the job properly. And the over-the-counter de-wormers sold at Wal-Mart, Target,
etc… are even less effective!
So, if the commercial
de-wormers are not doing the job, what can a dedicated pet-owner/breeder do to
get rid of them?? Believe it or not, there is an easy, safe, and really
inexpensive way to do this & I am going to share that trick with all of
you. Diatomaceous
Earth is the solution, and it has many other benefits, as you will see below.
Diatomaceous Earth is an all-natural substance consisting of white, porous, sedimentary rock that is naturally-made
from the fossilized remains of diatoms. Diatoms are one of the types of
unicellular phytoplankton that are surrounded by silica-rich cell walls. The
silica found in diatomaceous earth is
an essential mineral that is needed by plants, animals, and humans to grow and
remain healthy. Commercial de-worming treatments consist of chemicals (poisons)
that have actually killed animals! (Especially in cases where the animal has an
inflamed intestinal tract when treated)
When added to your pets’ diet on a daily basis, food-grade DE eliminates
roundworms, whipworms, pinworms, & hookworms within seven days! However,
the regimen should be continued for at least
30 days in order to wipe out any hatching eggs. “Lung-worms” (including
hookworms which have migrated to the lungs) can even be eliminated by doubling
the daily dose and increasing the minimum treatment time to 90-days.
DE provides numerous health benefits, so we have decided to include it as a
supplement every day. DE doesn't just
treat the animals on the inside, it also serves to keep flies away from the
stool piles, and decreases the “poop” smells! DE is also an effective treatment
for fleas, mites, & ticks.
This treatment is also effective in treating other animals (cats, horses,
etc…) – if you visit my reference links at the conclusion of this article, you
can get more information on dosage & treatment for your particular animal.
And DE also provides a lot of great benefits for humans as well!
We purchase our food-grade DE from our local feed store. Since we always have at least seven canine residents (and usually more than that!), we
purchase a 50-lb bag at a cost of only $32. Even with as many pets as we have
that bag will last a long, long time (See dosage
table below). You can purchase DE in smaller quantities & at various online
locations; we choose to support local business as much as possible, and Cagle’s Feed Store in Bryant , Alabama is our top pick
Recommended
Dosage Amounts
Kittens
|
1/2–1 tsp daily
|
Cats
|
2 tsp twice daily
|
Puppies (> 10 lbs)
|
½-1 tsp daily
|
Puppies (10-20 lbs)
|
2 tsp daily
|
Dogs (20-50 lbs)
|
1-1½ tablespoons daily
|
Dogs (50+ lbs)
|
2 tbs daily
|
Dogs (100+ lbs)
|
3-4 tbs daily
|
Cattle & Hogs
|
2% of daily feed ration
|
Chickens
|
5% of feed ration
|
Goats & Sheep
|
2-3 tbs/100 lbs body weight
|
Horses
|
1-2 cups daily
|
**HUMANS**
|
2-3 tbs daily (½ in am, ½ in
pm)
|
This is just a guideline,
they say you can feed too little DE, but you can’t feed too much, so when
dealing with certain infestation, you may want to boost the daily amount for
the first 3-4 weeks.
In closing, I highly
recommend DE as an alternative to expensive commercial medication. And don’t
forget to check out the reference links below! I guarantee you will be
amazed at the variety of benefits DE can provide to you and your pets! Thanks for
taking the time to read this, and good luck!!
Sources:
