The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Fly Control, Parasites
Posted by flicka_sugar (Pahrump, Nevada) on 07/28/2009
★★★★★
I use diatamaceous earth (or dirt as I affectionately call it) with all my animals. I have horses and cattle who get 1oz/day in the spring and fall and 2oz/day in the summer to help with fly control. The nice side benefit is I also have less problems with parasites when they are on this. I also give it to my pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, geese, alpacas, dogs, and cats. it works great and the farrier even comments on how little pest problems we have compared to other farms, which is nice to have few flies with all the animals. Also because of the effect on parasites and our local weather I only have to strongly deworm about 2x per year instead of deworming every 8 weeks for the horses and such.
Ear Mites
Posted by Lynn (Gulfport, Florida) on 01/21/2009
★★★★★
My male cat had scratched his ears so much that the ear developed a huge bubble and separated the ear skin/flesh. I had to take him to the vet for expensive treatment and surgery. It was due to ear mites. The ear is now permanently disfigured and ruined his appearance. I used diatomacious earth (food grade) mixed with a little water for transport, and and eye dropper, and put it in his ears when the mites came back. The water will evaporate and leaves the DE in the ear for ongoing treatment, as it is a powder and coats the inside of the ear a little. You don't need much. He stopped scratching by that night, and he hasn't had a problem since. That was a couple of years ago. My other cats are having problems though, and I am going to use it on them. I HATE ear mites and see how my cats can suffer with them. You can buy it (food grade) online or sometimes in a plant nursery (they use it to kill insects). It pays to remember that there may be an infection in the ears as well, and without a proper examination, you can't know. As much as I don't like vets offices, checking for an infection is worth it, especially in severe cases. One of my cats had mites and an infection. Her energy picked up after treatment for the infection, and I felt guilty that maybe she'd had it all along and it was painful. It's important to find a vet you like. Talk to people and get a referral for one you trust. Treatment can utilize both natural and standard treatment when appropriate.
Fleas
Posted by June (KC, KS) on 12/25/2008
Hi, I bought my DE from www.herbalremedies.com. They have great prices. I mix it in my cat's food, and sometimes sprinkle it on their fur but don't use it on the carpet.
As far as keeping fleas out of your house, vacuum of course, this kills fleas. I mix up a spray that really helps. I use a blend of any of these oils: neem, eucalyptus, tea tree, citronella, etc...and add water in a spray bottle. Add as much oil needed to get a strong smell, roughly 20-30 drops of each oil. I spray this on the carpet as often as I need and lightly on furniture. It helps repel and will also destroy eggs.
I've also read you can place liquid dish soap in a plate and put these around your house. The fleas are supposed to be drawn to the soap and drown. You then pick up the plate, dump the fleas and start over. I haven't tried this, but heard it's a good remedy.
Also, google for information on www.holisticat.com. This site charges for membership, but their old posts are free to read. They have great suggestions on natural pet treatments.
Ear Infections
Posted by Marisa (San Jose, USA) on 04/18/2008
★★★★★
My cat was miserable and his ear stank. I put a pinch of diatomaceous earth (swimming pool filter grade)in each ear. He seemed to be a bit better in about 40 minutes. He has stopped shaking his head and seems less lethargic. We'll see if he needs something more, (if he has a bacterial infection. His ear smelled like feces. ewwwwww!
Parasites
Posted by Jody (OH) on 12/23/2006
★★★★★
Dimataceous earth, not sure about the spelling on that... If you add a tbsp of dimataceous earth to an adult dog's, and a tsp to a puppy's food on a daily basis you will eliminate most parasites. You also can rub it into their fur for flea control as well. I have a kennel and have used this method for a long time and it works well.
Fleas
Posted by Lyn (Jeannette, PA)
★★★★★
I just wanted to comment on the fleas section. It is true that any shampoo will kill fleas, but it needs to be left on for 30 min. Also, if you have a flea infestation in your house, just spraying your animal wont help. You must treat where the fleas live. See, they only feed on your animal. I have tremendous luck using table salt and food-grade diatomaceous earth all over the house to kill fleas and prevent. The salt (I prefer organic unprocessed sea salt) cuts into the body of the flea and then allows the DE to dehydrate the animal. Salt by itself does seem to work also, I just like a faster approach. Keep in mind though that this means of defense does take up to 2 months to work as some fleas are still hatching. In really bad infestation, it could take longer. I think flea eggs can survive up to 280 days. I would also like to recommend quadruped pet products. I work at a holistic pet care center and this is what we use to bathe the animals. They do not contain(unlike most pet shampoos) any harsh chemicals. Also, all their products are concentrates so it is much cheaper than buying the harmful stuff from pet shops or grocery stores.
Ear Mites
Posted by Lynn (Jeannette, PA)
★★★★★
I have found that putting a pinch of food-grade diatomaceous earth into the dog or cat's ear kills the mites. I do it daily for about a month since that is how long the mites can take to hatch. Within a few days though the animal has absolutely no symptoms of mites and it is completely safe for pets of all ages and sizes. It is also a great way to get rid of mites on birds and to rid a pet of internal parasites.
