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.
I worked for a vet for a number of years, he told me the only difference between store-bought dewormers and prescription is the dose. If you buy the meds from the store, double the dose and it is the same as the prescription dose from the vet. Hope this helps.
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
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If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
DE is available in many, many places in the state of Texas. The restrictions on sale apply to how the product is labeled. The EPA requires that in order to make claims that Diatomaceous Earth kills insects, it has to be labeled with an approved EPA label. So if a dog treat includes DE in its ingredients and boasts that it also is effective on removing parasites, it must have the EPA label that proves the product met EPA specifications; if the product does not bear the EPA label then it cannot be sold as a dog treat that removes parasites in the state of Texas.
This site has DE in varying sized bags some of which can be sold to the state of Texas and some that cannot because it does not bear the EPA label:
I noticed that you wrote to give the animal Diatomaceous Earth (DE)... I went to a website that I read about to buy the stuff and on the website it specifically said will not sell to the state of TX... Is there a reason Texas can't buy the stuff?
Posted by Linnybug719 (Valley Stream, Ny) on 01/21/2013 ★★★★★
I completely rid six cats of giardia with a paste made of ground pumpkin seeds and aged garlic extract. Grind pumpkin seeds in a coffee grinder or processor then take about 1/4 tsp and add a couple of drops to the garlic extra. The extract is aged garlic and will not cause the same problems fresh garlic will. It's perfectly safe. I've never had any issues with any of my cats and I've used it fairly often for medicinal purposes.
Posted by Ankacs (Calgary , Alberta) on 10/04/2012
Garlic can be toxic to dogs in high doses- onions(from the same family) can kill a small dog. Garlic is an extremely effective anti-parasitic and it does help a lot with fleas and ticks but should be used more as a maintenance program in small daily doses. I'm not sure about diatomaceous earth- it may help to cleanse the colon a little but it certainly cannot be relied on by itself- as we know parasites don't dwell in the intestinal tract alone they live in your pets blood, liver, kidneys, heart etc. As well. You can give your dog black walnut and wormwood tinctures- it is easy to hide the drops in wet food. Dr. Hulda Clark recommends introducing some parsley into the diet beforehand to make sure the parasites get flushed out promptly as you cleanse. You begin with the black walnut slowly increasing the dose depending on your dog's weight. Then you introduce the wormwood, and eventually clove powder which needs to be freshly ground and is the only thing that will kill the eggs. A pet parasite program needs to last at least 3 weeks to kill all stages- egg, larva etc in your pet and MUST be repeated on a regular basis as pets are constantly exposed to new infestations no matter how well you take care of them. Many people will follow up the initial cleanse with a monthly dose for 3 or 4 days usually around the full moon which seems to be when parasites are most active. It is REALLY important to do this on a regular basis as chronic parasite infections can cause all kinds of other health problems. Pumpkin seeds can help to sweep them out as well (i imagine the cucumber works similarly). Always be careful what you put into your pets make sure you do your research as occasionally certain foods/herbs which are safe for humans may have adverse/toxic effects on cats and dogs- particularly cats.
Gastic acid is a weak solution of hydrochloric acid (0. 5%). The name muriatic acid is a holdover from olden days, and is only used for the 10% concentration used for cleaning bricks. The "active" component of diatomaceous earth is silicon dioxide, also known as silica, the same material that's used for making beverage bottles. At the 0.5% solution level of gastic acid, silica is nearly inert.
As Ben mentioned, MASSIVE amounts of diatomaceous earth can form a dense slurry, but to achieve such an amount, you'd have to force feed it to a dog or cat with no source of fiber, fat or protein to suspend the silica particles.
In worming, DE acts as an abrasive; the rough broken eggshell" structure is large relative to the worms, but tiny relative to the dog or cat and the intestinal wall.
DE isn't selectively absorbent. Any chemical neutralization properties of DE are due to impurities, like calcium carbonate (chalk).
I gave my dog black walnut for several weeks and it didn't seem to clear the worms. A guy at the dog park told me to use Apple Cider vinegar. It cleared it right up.... Is there nothing that ACV doesn't fix?
My dog is 80 lbs, and I used a Tablespoon of ACV in her food twice a day for about 4 days and the worms are gone. It seemed like a lot, but she seemed to suffer no digestive issues from the ACV. You can adjust the dosage for your dog's weight.
It does need to be said that my dog really likes to eat, but just to make sure she ate it I mixed it with a gourmet moist food...
Posted by Beth8954 (Pasco, Washington) on 06/20/2012 ★★★★★
People who say garlic is bad for dogs you are completely wrong! I gave my dog garlic because I noticed he didnt wan to eat and I saw on animal planet that you can garlic to a dogs food to make it more tasty. So I did than a few days later I was out poop scooping and I noticed WORMS in my dogs poop. So by giving my dog garlic I was able to save him from the pain of having worms in his body.
Posted by Nh Gardener (Sanbornton, Nh, Usa) on 06/19/2012
For Sleepingbeauty from Philadelphia for worms in dogs--Food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is the safest and most effective wormer--no danger of overdosing. Add 1 tsp. Daily to raw apple cider vinegar-dampened food; increase gradually to 1 -2 tsps. 2X/day. DE is inexpensive. Check internet for sources and for pet testinmonials.
Posted by Sleepingbeauty (Philadelphia, Pa) on 06/06/2012 ★★★★★
One week ago, I saw worms in my dog's stool and found this site. I immediately got a few cigarrettes and gave him a little more than half with his food. He's a Cocker Spaniel weighing about 35 lbs.. The next day I saw worms but they seemed like they were dead. After that I saw no more.
Yesterday, I took him to th vet with a stool sample from a bowel movement he made very early yesterday morning. I saw nothing and the vet's office said the sample was totally clear.
My husband told the vet that I used tobacco, and of course he said he never, ever heard of this, and he said that there could be eggs remaining up in the intestinal tract.
Sure enough, this morning, I saw live worms again.
I'm feeling confident about the tobacco, though. My instinct was to follow the first dose with a second dose to kill anything that might have remained to be hatched. I don't want to overdose him on tobacco, but he showed no adverse effects at all to what I gave him before. I even gave it to my cats just in case they were infected, too.
In addition, my dog has never had worms in 13 years. My husband suspected that he may have gotten them from being at a friends home just a few weeks prior. This house has four dogs and a cat. When he is with them, he is outside much longer as they stay in their yard more. We don't leave our dog out very long. With our friend, all our dogs are exposed for a much longer time to each other's fecal matter that remains in the backyard and the other outdoor variables that contribute to parasites.
It's very, very possible that the tobacco did the job the first time, and that he was reinfected when we took him over there again just this past weekend.
I will add an update in a week or so, but I believe the tobacco is effective!
After contracting Giardia in Eastern Europe several years ago, and suffering severe side effects for years, I finally found a remedy that has fully cured my symptoms. I am so relieved because I found only temporary relief after a cycle of Flagyl, but the symptoms very shortly returned and I began to lose hope.
I had given up looking for a cure, and I just happened to start putting lemons in everything that I was drinking (I had read somewhere that lemon juice was good for the liver). I was consuming about 9 lemons a week at the time, and I started to notice that my symptoms were going away. I finally had a bowel movement that did not float, which I thought was a miracle, and the horrendous bloated feeling I had had for years finally subsided.
I continue to consume slices of lemons squeezed in everything I drink (primarily beer! ), and I feel completely cured.
I hope that this remedy can help other people who are struggling with chronic Giardia.
Posted by Jilbert57 (Brinnon, Wa, Usa) on 05/25/2012
I too frequent Earth Clinic a lot looking for remedies for people and dogs. Usually find something that either works or helps a lot.
5 days ago my 13 year old jack russell woke me up vomiting twice in the night. Then the next day he had probably 4 bouts of bowel movements, each made up of 3 different places but ending in just liquid as a result. A lot of mucus in the more firm of the stools. No weird color, bad odor or greasy look. This continued one more night and the next morning I called the vet. I took him in and also a great fecal mucus "plop" he did in a container outside the vet office. The vet did a rectal exam and used some of the residue on her glove. So off we went with a prescription for Metro- two 250 mg per day, he is 19.5 lbs. Well the rest of the day he was great, acting like a normal 5 year old jr(thanks to Adequan shots I give him) and we went to bed. He woke up about midnight vomiting some food. Then about one am up came one of his Potassium Citrate pills(he makes urate stones so needs a urine alkalinizer), then another vomit about 230am. So come 8am I called the vet and said I don't think the Metro is sitting very well with Mickey. He is despondent, kind of glazy eyes, looks depressed and doesn't want to move much. My husband said maybe he is having stomach cramps.
Anyway, back to the vets where they confirmed his test was positive for giardia. So we stopped the Metro, got a 5 day supply of Panacur, and she gave him a shot of Cerenia to end the nausea, which it did. He was back to his happy self in about an hour. So now we are on the 3 day of the Panacur, he doesn't seem to be suffering any outward symptoms from it, and is eating great. So the Metro was not a good fit with the jack, but the Panacur was. Hope this helps someone else.
Posted by Anne (Spring Hill, Florida, U.s.a.) on 05/02/2012
PLEASE... Do your research before "warning" people about something as incredible as Colloidal Silver. There is only ONE documented case of agyria and that guy had to be drinking buckets of it at a time - or very high in ppm (particles per million). It was also found that people who were given it interveneously were prone to discoloration. And... By the way... It's certainly NOT dangerous. There are no documented deaths from using Colloidal Silver.
Posted by Hippocrates (Odin, Missouri, USA) on 04/29/2012 9 posts ★★★★★
Hello all, A dirt poor friend of mine once had a Labrador puppy under a year old that had massive tapeworms. It was just skin and bones. So, not having money to take it to the vet and not wanting to see it die, and not having Diatomaceous Earth on hand, I had him go outside and take some Perlite (garden section of stores) and crush it into a fine, fine powder. I had him make a simple white gravy, mix in one teaspoon into the gravy and put it on his food. This was done twice a day.
Shortly after it started gaining weight, and was back to normal within the month, during which time I had him continue it for, just to make sure any eggs that might hatch would be dead.
D.E. and Perlite are similar in the physical mechanism in which they act upon the worms as an abrasive, killing them.
Chispa, I know that a lot of herbs are not usable with cats as their livers cannot tolerate them and thus they could get very sick or die. I have used Diatomaceous earth with my dogs and cats regularly added to their food moistened so it wouldn't get in their lungs but I don't know if it will rid them of worms or not. If you can afford it at least get them diagnosed by means of a stool sample from at least one of them and then research where to go from there. I know none of my cats or dogs have ever lost weight from worms and I have fed them the barf (bones and raw food) diet for years and years so if they were going to get or keep worms from raw meat that should have done it. So a tsp maybe a day in the cats' food I should think wouldn't hurt them but I don't promise anything. I know it is not herbal and is only mineral so in that, it shouldn't hurt them but unless they are getting enough nutrition otherwise they may go down hill anyway. I did once save a very ill stray cat by determining which grass the animals tended to chew on and picked that, washed it, put it in a blender to strain the green liquid that resulted by adding a little water to it in the blender and feeding that to the cat in a eye dropper along with egg yolks mixed with pedialyte. After a few days I started gradually adding in some canned cat food which is the only form of commercial cat food that should be used and he recovered completely. You should research herbs, nutrients, vitamins etc. Though and let us know what you learn please. Hope this helped. I ordered mine from the same place the other place here mentioned, timberwolf something, got a 50lb bag so I've had it so long I forgot the exact name.
Posted by Chispa (Mississauga, Canada) on 03/25/2012
Earth Clinic and EC readers, I would URGENTLY need your help. I have 4 cats (the mother and her 3 male children) they have been losing a lot of weight. Two of them I can feel their bones when trying to brush them. I have not seen any worms but I feel they have them. Now I am confused reading all the comments. What shall I give them garlic, cayenne pepper, tobacco, ginger powder, clay power, or diatomaceus earth - Please help me save them ?????
Posted by Mia (Manchester, Ct) on 03/05/2012 ★☆☆☆☆
We have been giving DE to our cat two times a day with her food for three months. It has done nothing to take care of her tape worm. This may be because it is mixed in with her moist food. We will not be trying DE to take care of the fleas that I'm sure are coming our way now that spring has come and we have small worm bits hiding around our house. I do not want any animals or people to breathe in tiny glass like fragments in dust form. Our cat will be going to the vet shortly to have the worms taken care of.
James the reason you were seeing more tape worms in the stool is because the DE was working. It was eliminating them from the body that's why you were seeing more. The DE was flushing them out of their system. There is no way DE can make Tape worms worse. It will make the skin slightly dry if used constantly to combat fleas and ticks but that is a small price to pay considering what a flea infestation can do aside from what harsh topical pesticides like Frontline and Advantage do.
I have been involved in dog and cat rescue for 28 years and DE definitely prevents fleas, ticks, and worms not to mention the other healthy benefits for your dogs and yourself. It has even been known to lower blood pressure in humans. Please don't encourage people to stop using a tried and true product. DE is wonderful for humans and dogs as well. Just make sure you are using human grade.
Buy dewormer for round worm from Walmart, costs about $7. Give teaspoon full to average 10 lb cat in food like tuna fish, mix in. Repeat in two weeks and should nip the cycle of reinfestation. Garlic and brewer's yeast is used to ward off fleas who dislike scent and taste of pet so leave. Good to add to food. Cats lick and swallow fleas when bite them and then eggs hatch in their bodies feeding on food, nutrient supply. Keep cat bell on collar on cat as deters them from catching rodents, birds as they hear em and flee so can't eat em! Also keeping home clean by weekly dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, washing bedding where pets lie including your bed spreads, comforters, couch, chair covers, blankets helps. Also weekly brushing dog, cats, wiping dander off them with a wet paper towel and drying them also helps as does allowing cats to have either scratching post inside or access to trees otside to keep nails trimmed so when scratch selves don't get cut which could get infected. Monthly nail trim of dog as well. Keep lawn mowed in winter and eliminate clutter both in and outside home where fleas may hide as well as mosquitos(pots full of standing water, etc. ) In warm months deflea pets by using some method you can afford. I use Walmart product and is fine, once a month. Has 3 vials in it for like $6. Take advantage of your local free rabies clinics in the summer.
There are also free pet food food banks at your local ASPCA if you are low income. Get pet insurance as your pet ages as gradually the pet bills will grow but don't have to. Rescue groups like Animalkind in Hudson, NY in Columbia county offer free veterinary care on Sundays including free spay, neuter, other shots for cats, kittens. Department of Social Services pays $20 towards spay, neuter of dogs and friends of animals has certificates you can get for free spay, neuter of your pet. There are plenty of agencies to help ets in NYC.
Your local veterinary hospital will treat healthy pets for maintenance check ups to prevent anything serious. Get apt. Insurance if renting so you can get a nice apt. In good area even though normally doesn't allow pets as covers liability and any damage to apt. Is what landlord wants to prevent. If is covered then shouldn't be a problem so yolu don't have to live in slum or give up pets like so many do. Treat your pet with home remedies and as cheaply as possible and when in doubt go to internet and pet forums like this for answers but consider source and make an educated decision before yoiu act. Caution is best and do nothing when in doubt. here's to your pet's health!
-Ann
pet pro(former owner of pet sitting, boarding, grooming service in Westchester county, NY) Ann has had dogs, cats her whole life and used to ride, show horses.
P.S. recommend book from Prevention Magazine for Pet Health as contains many helpful pet tips, treatments for training, health treatment, etc.
Posted by Ggangel (Narrowsburg, New York Us) on 02/16/2012
Hi, though I have not personally tried Dr. Hulda Clark. 'Zapper' I have heard of them when I was researching for schematics for the Bob Beck device. About the commercially available versions of this device. I do have personal experience. And I would suggest looking into this device as it works very well for me. And I would recommend it highly. The articles are not too hard to find on the web there is a complete series of Bob beck lecturers posted on YouTube. Good luck
Posted by Mr. Greenjeans (Tumum, Wa) on 01/21/2012
I have tried garlic for dewormer on my akita border mix, seemed to work for a while but then the worms took over. Meanwhile I was working on processing some terra cotta clay for some project, I had a stainless steel bowl with water in it for washing the clay off of my hands and tools. The bowl sat in the mud room, and I caught the dog drinking the water. I stopped her and told her it was no good, but I still left it there and later I came back to find she had not only drank the water but had also eaten the heavy clay out of the bottom of the bowl. She cleaned it!
So the dog took it upon itself to eat the clay. I will wait and see if the worms go away. Maybe the dog knows Best! I will try to post the results of my observation.
The day I found out my dogs had tapeworms I took them straight to the Vet. He gave them a dose of the chemical meds that is made to kill tapeworms, then said to bring them back in in two weeks for another dose. So in two weeks they got the follow up dose as directed. The vet told me that the first dose would kill the adult worms, and the follow up was to take care of the newly hatched eggs.
But the meds didn't work the vet had instructed me to bring a stool sample upon each visit so he could be sure. He took one look at the sample which was loaded with little tapeworm segments that were still moving alive and well. He said the chemical meds he gave them should have killed them and there wouldn't be any visible segments by the second appointment. He then gave them a higher dose of a different kind of chemical med, and instructed me to come back again in two weeks with another stool sample. We returned to the vet with the same results as last time. The vet said these days the worms are becoming immune to the chemical dewormers, and the meds he used are the only two kinds available that will kill tapeworms in dogs.
He then said the only other option was to try natural remedies because giving them an even higher dose of the chemicals would be unsafe and with no guarantee for success. I believe the vet I use is one of the best because he cares more about the animals welfare than the money. He proved this to me by saying (besides being safer for them a natural cure won't cost you out the ass like these drugs are doing.)
So like everyone should do before trying any new or old cure I did lots of research on different things that were said to kill parasites in dogs and in humans as well. Not that I have tapeworms I just thought it would be better to find something that someone used on a person with no ill effect cause some people will feed anything to a dog and say it is safe. Things like Gunpowder I read that article and thought OMG!!! THAT POOR DOG!!! .... Gunpowder burns the lining of the stomach and intestines leaving them scared and the dog will always be in pain for the rest of his now shortened life.
I came across diatomaceous earth on the wolf creek ranch website. Here is a word from the wise never fully trust the info given on any product if the main place giving the info is also selling the product. I fell for it and bought a 20lb bag of the stuff. The bag I bought also had calcium bentonite clay in it. Which is also said to rid the body of parasites. The site said to give dogs under 100lbs 1/4 teaspoons per dog per day and if no results were shown in ten days to double the dose. Now bare in mind I was taking the stuff myself to see if I had any bad side effects and upping the dose for myself before each time I gave my dogs extra. (yes I love my babies that much) 65 days later we were taking a cup a day yes that is one cup for each dog and one cup for me, and their worms had done nothing but gotten worse. They went from having 5 or 6 tapeworm segments in their morning poop to having 30 to 40 in every poop, I stopped giving them the DE seeing how it is nothing more then a scam for the most part. Yet on the other hand it is a good source of minerals. But it will not kill internal parasites even an idiot could see if I was giving a 60lb dog a full cup which is 192 times the recommended dose with no results there is no hope for the product. And also I would never put this on any animals skin because it will dry and irritate on contact believe me I got it on my hands and arms everyday while preparing their food. By this time their coats were very dull and there skin was flaky. The worms were draining the life out of them.
I had already called around to other Vets in town to see if they had any other chemical meds that my vet didn't carry but they all sell the same thing. This was it for me I had enough so I came up with my own plan of action to me by this time it was WAR!! . And I had lost a lot of ground but I refused to lose the fight. I had some capsules of ginger on hand that I was taking for myself. I counted out 40 of them and took them apart, I then stuffed them with as much fresh ground cayenne pepper as would fit. Then I went to the supermarket and bought the biggest clove of garlic I could find elephant garlic. And by the way I mulled all of this over with my vet before hand and he said this would be safe as long as I didn't do it once a month he then said it would be a good idea to do this twice a year just like I'm describing.
day 1 step 1: I made my dogs fast for one whole day and that night before bed I let them eat as much raw cucumber as they could stand. Raw cucumber seeds will kill parasites. Then I gave them 10 cayenne pills each, and straight to bed we went.
day 2 step 2: I let them munch on cucumber all day as much as they wanted. Then that night before bed. I took the whole big thing of elephant garlic and minced and crushed it till it was a paste I added 4 tablespoons of olive oil and mixed it with two cans of dog food, I also put the ginger powder from the pills in. Then split it between the two of them. My dogs are twins from the same litter and they are the same weight as well. After plenty of water to wash it down I gave them another 10 cayenne pills each, then straight to bed we went.
day 3 step 3: Once again they ate cucumber all day and that night I gave them dry dog food.
day 4 last step. First thing in the morning I gave them each a Child's dose of Castor Oil which is 3 tablespoons mixed with a cup of warm milk. That night they ate more dry food.
Now they have no intestinal parasites and their coats are like show dogs and their skin is in the perfect condition. They have a ton of energy and are even able to think more clearly. I know this because before when they had the worms they acted like they didn't understand any command such as sit, stay, or come. I have raised them their whole life Cesars way. We go on daily walks and practice the basic commands everyday. But when the parasites got bad they didn't care to walk and they wouldn't listen. Now that the war against the parasites is over my Friends are back to their old selves again and they sit and stay with one snap of a finger believe it or not just like Cesar's dog Junior or Daddy.
Please know the steps I took was as a last resort and under vet supervision and guidance. Although it worked perfectly and without any side effects remember every dog is different. So it is best to try the vet first then go from there and make sure to do your homework.
Next time try diatomaceous earth internally for the worms and outside for the fleas! It's non toxic, but don't you or them breath it as it is irritating to the lungs.
I sell DE for a living and can tell you that in it's dry form it is EXTREMELY hazardous long term as it is chemically inert and you can not eliminate it from your body if you inhale it. It is perfectly safe when wet and can not poison you in any way unless you (or your pet) swallow massive amounts which will bind together in the presence of muriatic acid, also known as stomach acid and create a very strong "mud."
Posted by Mycatsownme (Glendale, Ca, Usa) on 11/03/2011
I wonder if the clay didn't provide some B vitamins too? Cats are supposed to be more prone to parasites when they lack proper B vitamins particularly B1.
Posted by Leila (Hilo, Hawaii) on 10/29/2011 ★★★★★
A week ago my cat had horrific fleas and worms in his stool. I had tried many things and finally resorted to frontline and a deworming pill. My poor kitty went from active and cuddly to dead tired, dull eyed, and too weak to purr. I was so worried when he still wasn't better three days later, and finally I thought to give him some clay to suck out the poison. I suspect the deworming pills and frontline were just too much for him. That night he started purring again, and by the next morning he was back to his old self! I suspect lead poisoning in the deworming pills. I had also been spraying him with garlic for his fleas, which is very poisonous I found out now. He's better now anyway. I used green clay powder and mixed it in with some seaweed water and tuna so he'd eat it and get lots of water. Make sure he drinks lots of water after eating clay the next day! I know it'll help your animals, too!
Along with an organic garlic pill (= 4 cloves), I have been making white rice and mixing in small handful of cheese. Doing this for about a week now. Will check the backyard for any more "puddles" and report.
We have three dogs, so expensive to give flea treatment, garlic works great. As for the fur and joints, was giving good quality fish oil in their food, but OMG, the stinky gas was horrific. Any suggestions?
Posted by Christine (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) on 09/09/2011
When in doubt, scientific studies are most beneficial in determining what is true or false. This study showed that dogs' red blood cell count dropped and there were signs of damage to the red blood cells (Heinz bodies) when fed garlic; compared to a control group that was not fed garlic and showed no such signs.
Granted, it is likely a matter of how MUCH garlic is fed, and whether or not the dog has any underlying diseases that could worsen the effects. So, the real question is if you feel the benefit is worth the risk to feed your dog garlic?
Posted by Christine (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) on 09/09/2011
The average cost to spay a human is $7000, upwards to $20, 000 in some cases. Less than $200 bucks to spay a cat is actually pretty paltry. Especially considering a veterinarian has the same amount of schooling, and has to learn about several species instead of just one. And the technique, equipment, etc. is pretty darn similar.
If something as simple and wide-spread as garlic actually prevented fleas- there wouldn't be so many flea medications on the market. There also would be so many flea infestations. This year seemed especially heinous with the little buggers.
Posted by Zengirl (Fredericksburg, Va) on 08/31/2011
my dog has whipworms. I am going to try blackwalnut with clove and wormwood. I am also going to give him a clove of garlic 3 times a day. Can anyone give me dosing for my dog. he is 120 pounds.
on an off note I had 3 dogs that got kennel cough all at once. Garlic 3 times a day and it was gone within a week. just wanted to share that garlic does cure kennel cough.
Posted by Chrystal (Junction City, Kansas) on 08/31/2011
Just FYI guys I read through this entire post when my dogs had worms and I just wanted everyone to know that I found de-worming meds for dogs over the counter at petmeds.com. I also found them over the counter at the local feed store in the animal health section. I know herbal remedies are best but sometimes just getting the medicine is best for the animal. It was cheap too! I paid 20 bucks for an entire bottle of the stuff and one 120 lb dog (Ihave a great dane and 3 lab mixes) only needs 1 tsp a day for three days! So the bottle will still not be empty after I treat all 4 of my big dogs! Just thought I would help!
We had great success using GSE (grapefruit seed extract) for the tapeworms in our cats. One day, my teenage son told me he just put a few drops in the cats' water, and they didn't seem to be able to taste it, and the tapeworm segments stopped coming out of their butts. However, if we stopped putting the GSE in their water, the tapeworms came back--I don't know whether they were getting reinfected by eating new fleas, or if the GSE just kept the tapeworms dormant. Unfortunately, I have a new cat, a short-haired tabby (the others were Maine Coons) that CAN taste the GSE, and she won't drink water that has even a drop. So, I am now looking for a new cure. I'm going to try the tobacco. But if your cat (I don't know if it's safe for dogs--I don't have a dog) will drink GSE, it works great to get rid of tapeworms.
One of our cats was diagnosed with Cytauxzoonosis, which is a parasite and the mortality rate is near 100%. I took the cat to the vet on a Friday and was told that she would not likely make it through the weekend. I brought her home and decided to treat her with MMS. Our cat weighs about 8 lbs. So I knew it wouldn't take much to treat her. I started with 2 drops of MMS and it was a good fight getting her to swallow it but I got it in her. I repeated this every 4 or 5 hours through the weekend. One morning I noticed of puddle of yucky something on the floor that she had vomited. I felt bad for making her sick but I knew it was working. She made it to Monday and her behavior was indicative that she was feeling much better. I continued doing this twice a day for about 5 more days and then stopped. This happened back in April and here it is August and she's doing great.
Posted by Be (South Rockwood, Michigan) on 08/18/2011
As for Rae from Epworth, Ia, Usa replies: "The best thing you can do for this puppy is to either borrow money from someone or give the dog to someone that can afford to take care of it. Sometimes you can work out a payment plan with your vet"
I cannot emphasize what an ignorant and short sighted answer this is. We domesticated these animals because they benefit us well beyond being a luxury. The fact that veterinary care has gone up as much (if not more) than human health care is leading to an epidemic of abandoned or euthanized animals in this country. Not to mention, some vets are cashing in worse than doctors today ($180 to spay a cat!!! ). I've become caretaker of a feral cat colony. Even if I were to destroy or rehome each of the seven cats I look out for - the net result is that I'd have a new crop on my property within 3 months. It's a habitat whether I like it or not.
And FYI - since these ferals took up regular residence and maintenance, we have no (river) rats, mice, moles tearing up our landscaping while the groundhogs and rabbit population has diminished substantially. A much better solution to moles than burying poison pellets everywhere in my yard.
If you search around the internet and converse with your local humane society, you can often find lower cost alternatives that will keep your animals healthy and happy and not put you in the poorhouse.
Personally, I'm giving the regular DE a try in my feral colony because I like the concept of breaking the life cycle of the parasites. Many wormers eliminate the problem from he animal but leave the eggs around to be snuffed up by the critter that comes along. I'll report back on DE after 3 or 4 months of regular use.
Posted by Be (South Rockwood, Michigan) on 08/18/2011 ★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
I have to give a huge warning about colloidal silver. Long term exposure to a living animal or person will eventually cause them to turn gray as the silver permeates throughout the system and DOES NOT get removed from your tissues. Long term prognosis is not good. I am very open to alternative remedies ie most of these such as tobacco, DE and OO have been around for years and similar to many things we eat, can be marginally poisonous. More is not better. Colloidal silver does work but at a great cost to the patient. Look up Argyria before you use this for anything!!!
Posted by Sherrie (Fuengirola, Mïaga, Spain) on 08/08/2011
Hi Brian,
I have read your post with interest and although I note that it was some time ago that you posted it, I hope you still check in on the forum and will be able to answer my question.
I have found the book you refer to and I wonder if you could tell me if you have tried the 'Zapper' with good results, or have you only had successful results with the herbal remedies?
Posted by Maryland (Los Angeles, Ca, Usa) on 06/19/2011 ★★★★★
I gave my Mini Schnauzer pumpkin seeds when he was almost about 8 months old, because I noticed his puppy was full of worms. I gave it to him for about 2 weeks, not every day (because I would forget sometimes! ) and it worked. He hasn't had any more worms.
If your dog still has watery diarrhea, please get a proper diagnosis before treating with anything, natural or otherwise.
I have had rescues/fosters for 20 years. Many had Giardia. None had watery diarrhea. They had pale, slimey, foul smelling stools, which is typical for Giardia.
Posted by Jazz (Blackpool, United Kingdom) on 05/21/2011
Yes theres a lot of myths about garlic. It wont hurt your dog if the right amount is given. Just like if it eats a bit of chocolate it also wont kill it.
Posted by Jazz (Blackpool, United Kingdom) on 05/21/2011
Yes it means the diatomaceus earth(DE) was working. As the worms die they release toxins, your cat must have a large amount of worms. However DE absorbs the toxins once u start giving DE you should not stop for at least 3 weeks until all the eggs have died.
Posted by Rottweiler_babe (Midland, Midland Ontario Canada) on 05/09/2011
Just gave my 130 pound dog a clove of garlic! Hope your grandmother was right, Im feeling good about this and I have spent hundreds at the vets and on pesticides (for dogs) including a natural drop treatment ( didn't work)! That she was on for 2 weeks with 60 drops a day its called wrm clear its a homeopathic remedy. Do not waste your money! .. I will keep you posted on the garlic.. Thanks a bunch!
Posted by Jennifer (Lamarque, Texas) on 04/14/2011
Im referring to the comment about giving the pet away or borrowing money. I have been breeding pits for years. Back in 2000 I got hurt on the job and could'nt work no more. So at that time I had 3 females and 3 males. I could'nt afford the vet bills for worms. I started mincing up garlic and adding it to their food and have been everyday. I have healthy dogs and puppies. I think it is heartless to tell someone what you did. I have a 12 yr old pit mixed, whos my heart and I have been through her getting ran over and me taking her to put her to sleep. I could'nt do it I turned around and went back to get her. Thank GOD I did. She was 1 then and she will make 13yrs old in October.
There is a website called IMOMS.org they are wonderful they help you raise money to get your pets the proper care. Please go check it out. When Felony got ran over they helped me raise the money for her surgery and heart worm treatment right after. I was blessed enough to find a vet who done her surgery for free, so my money was donated back to help another pet in need. Im sorry I went into great details about this, just to let you know that garlic did'nt hurt mine. Plus to let you know there is help and people who care. I would never tell no one to give their pet away:)
Can you please state how much you used? I just started Colloidal silver today on my dog who has been suffering with months of chronic diarrhea and lost alot of weight. I gave her the children's dose on the bottle - squirted it straight into her mouth? BTW- she weighs 37#
I also thought my dog had Giardia, but she still has chronic watery diarreha after 3 rounds of the Metro and dewormed 3x - once with Pancur. Panacur is known to be used to resolve Giardia issues in dogs, "Worm for a 7 days with Panacur (based on body weight)- mix in a little canned dog meat, then put on kibble, then worm again with Panacure in another 2 weeks (for 7 more days), and they MUST be on a probiotic at the same time- per GreatDaneLady. I also heard about MSM - the sulphur is supposed to make an unhealthy environment for the parasites to live.
Posted by Suzanne (Myrtle Point, Oregon) on 03/19/2011
I noticed that you didn't have any information yet on Giardia cures for dogs, so since I was doing some research for my own dog I thought I would share what I have found. The traditional treatment is a 5-7 day course of an antibiotic called Metronidazole/Flagyl. Which is the one that my veterinarian prescribed for my dog and has seemed to be very effective. But since I have learned that giardia can be a recurrent problem (the cyst can lay dormant in the intestines for years, and come out during periods of stress) I wanted to find a natural cure so that she would not need to keep taking antibiotics. What I have found that sounds to be the most effective was Oil of Oregano, I have yet to find any dosages more descriptive than a couple of drops, followed by a small amount of plain yogurt. This is probablly what I will try if/when she relapses.
Someone also recommended feeding 1 Tbs of Coconut Oil a day, more as a preventative and for general health, as an anti-virul/bacterial/ fungal/parisitic, as it is very high in medium chain fatty acids. I also plan to start this since I take it for myself and have been pleased.
Grapefruit seed extract was also mentioned for treating Giardia, other parasites and gastro-intestinal disorders. The dosages stated were to give 1 drop per every 10lbs of body weight, 3-5 times a day until cured. It is noted that it is VERY BITTER, and should be put in food or diluted.
I look forward to hearing others experiences on this! Love the website!
Posted by Christina (Astoria, Oregon, Usa) on 02/06/2011
Forgive my bluntness - Rae, you're not the sharpest tool in the shed. I've used fresh garlic, a grain or two, in my dog's wet food for every day of her life with me and she's approaching the ripe old age of 16yrs! I've had her since she was 6mons old, you do the math.
It has cut down on fleas - I don't know about the worm though.
The best thing you can do for this puppy is to either borrow money from someone or give the dog to someone that can afford to take care of it. Sometimes you can work out a payment plan with your vet.
If the dog is vomitting worms the infestation is likely severe, and you are right, it will die. But killing the puppy to kill the worm is not the way to go.
Posted by Kcin Ar (Russellville, Ar Usa) on 01/28/2011 ★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
To Angela from Scotia, Ny, Usa- PLEASE never give your kitties diatomaceous earth!! I understand it can be inhaled and since it's like tiny microscopic shards of glass, it gets stuck in their lungs! I've heard of people who dusted their cat for fleas with it and it killed the cat!
Posted by Angela (Scotia, Ny, Usa) on 01/24/2011 ★☆☆☆☆
I gave my cat diatamatious earth for her worm problem. She seemed to get sick and was hacking and coughung alot. So I quit giving it to her. It didnt bother my other two cats at all. Does that mean that it was doing its job??? PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE THIS OUT
Posted by Desiredoutcome (Mims, Fl, Usa) on 01/01/2011
Garlic for puppy with round worms
I currently don't have the money to take my 9 week old puppy to the vet and I know for sure he has round worms, I believe he puked them up in my bed last night. I've heard that garlic can make him expel them? I don't have fresh garlic on hand but could I use powdered garlic and if so how much would I use and for how long? I just got this puppy and I believe he's had the worms since he was born as they are about 5 inches long. I'm afraid that if I don't do something soon he will die so please any information on this remedy as soon as possible would be greatly appreciated. I don't know what to do and don't have any money to buy wormer, please help!
Ginger is a broad range helminthic (dewormer) and anti-parasitic. That is why sushi is always served with sliced ginger. You can get powdered ginger at the health food store and add a pinch to wet food or canned tuna. If your pet doesn't like the smell, mix the ginger into a small amount of wet food and cover it up with more wet food/tuna. Please try this instead of garlic, especially with small dogs or cats.
Please DO NOT give dogs garlic. It is toxic for them and can cause anemia and death. Especially small dogs. The same for onions. There are too many safe natural worm remedies out there. Please don't take a chance. Make sure to do your homework on anything you give your pet. You wouldn't want something to happen to them because of a misguided cure. You love them or you wouldn't be trying to find ways to help them. :)
EC: According to many contributors on this site, as well as some vets that we have also heard from, garlic in small quantities is safe for dogs. Read all the feedback here: https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/garlic_for_dogs.html
Posted by Luis (Terra Bella, Ca, Usa) on 09/03/2010 ★★★★☆
I have a year old Boxer named Rocky! Well yesterday I was taking him on his morning walk so he could do his needs! And idk why but I took a look at his fecal and noticed there were white worms all over it so it concerned me and I realized that's most likely why he was staying so skinny! I got on the computer and started looking up home remedies and came across garlic! It seemed pretty legit and easy so I found some garlic in the freezer! (Minced Garlic In water) I got a big spoon full and put it n a put with 2 cups of water and let it boil a while! Then I got some dog food and mixed the garlic and food together n a jar and let the food get moist! When it cooled down I fed it 2 my dog! He didn't like it much but I made him eat it! I didn't feed him any more yesterday! Well today when I walked him again he did his needs and he through a lot of worms that were about 1/2 foot long! An hour later I took him on another walk and again he through a lot of more 1/2 foot long worms! So my question is now that he is throwing all those worms out does it mean his stomach is being cleaned out ? and how long until thay are all out of him?
Posted by Cassi (San Antonio, Texas) on 06/21/2010
Hi I read your response to the Diatomaceous Earth remedy for worms, and I was wondering, where can one buy DE at? My kitty who is about 5 or so weeks old has worms :(
Posted by Ginny (Boise, Idaho, United States) on 06/05/2010 ★★★★★
Oil of Oregano for worms in dogs! I had a 12 year old Australian Shepherd who had a constant cough and would hack up piles of flem. I took him to the regular vet, who said it was just allergies and to put him on Benadryl . That only made him sleepy. I had just heard about Oil of Oregano and bought it in the pill form. I thought if this was some kind of virus, the OO would help. I wrapped the pill in hamburger and gave it to him once a day. 10 days later, I was walking by the window and he was taking a pooh. It was long and stringy so I went out and looked at it and it had worms crawling about. By the next day, (this gets gross) he had worms at the opening of his anus. He was in such discomfort. By the next day, there were more worms, but now they were on the outside of his butt and digging into his skin. I took him to the patio and got the water hose out. I had to put on a plastic glove and try to get them off of him. I sprayed his butt with water and the worms on the outside came off, but he still had them inside, whipping around. I ended up making an enema with DE and water and shot it up his anus. This forced the worms out. He had a few worms coming out for the next few days. I put him on OO for a few more times for about 2 weeks each, but never saw anymore worms. The OO did not help his cough, as I later realized that he was effected by the chem trails. I am pretty happy with the worming he got, as I could not find a natural wormer that worked for dogs. The natural vet wanted 240.00 to worm my 6 dogs, and it was a chemical wormer. Use caution when using OO... more is not better and don't leave them on it for too long.
Vinegar will disolve the glue that hold the eggs to your dog's (and people's) hair. I just put a small amount of vinigar in a cup and use a flea comb to comb it through the hair. Sometimes I will still see an egg and can pull it off by running the strand of hair through my finger nails. It is very effective.
A few Days ago I was looking at this site to help my dog with his constipation. Well I got some answers. I read about acv (which I believe it's a magical thing) anyway. I gave my dog a dose last night, I waited and nothing happened. Around 2 am he woke me up, and I took him out. Tonight I did the same thing, except I sort of put a little bit extra. Took him out. It has been raining here a lot today, so....when he came in, there was a worm, then another OMG he has worms...was my thing. I read all about it and I'm unsure about continue to give him more acv with garlic or should I stop it and just give him garlic?
Anyone has any answers.....? I think he has round worms..he is very small dog.
Posted by Lithrassa (Los Angeles, California) on 05/09/2010 ★★★★★
my dog is susceptible to tapeworms, even with flea medicine. he's 6 and gets tapeworms once, sometimes twice, a year. i was tired of spending $75.00 each time i went to the vet for the pill. plus, i wanted to give him a natural treatment. i tried the pumpkin seeds and they worked okay. i read about diatomaceous earth and thought i'd try it. i'm so glad i did! it worked wonders. my dog is 90 lbs. so i gave him 2 heaping tablespoons in his food and later that day his stool had pieces of dead tapeworms and 1 live one. the next day i gave him 1 tablespoon and later that day his stool had only dead pieces. the third day (today) his stool was clean. so it only took two days. i gave him another tablespoon today just to be safe and i think i'll continue for another day or two just to clean out his system, but thank you for this wonderful suggestion. oh, and it costs just cents per tablespoon! nice bonus.
Posted by Patti (Coconut Creek, Fl) on 04/10/2010 3 posts ★★★★★
I wanted to add I give my horses and dog DE for parasite control. I've taken it myself from time to time, too. It's very important to know that there is a Food Grade DE ....and there is diatomaceous earth product that is sold for use in pool filters. That product is toxic. Be sure to buy Food Grade diatomaceous earth.
Very late in replying but in case anyone is reading this of recent, I have read on various websites that it does. In fact, I am trying it out right now. When I get the results I will come back and post.
I have a 6 month old miniature maltese and I JUST NOTICED TINY PINKISH WORMS IN HER POOP. I cant afford a vet right now so how much garlic would I give her. She only weighs about 2 or 3 pounds.
Do research on colloidal silver...it kills & heals almost everything!! I'm using it right now to worm my kitten & by day 2, I am already seeing dead worms in her poo.
I am sure that she has hookworms, as her poo's were bloody. I mentioned this to her breeder that I thought she had worms cuz she had an inflated belly & a very vile bowel movement, the first day I had her. The breeder said nothing.
Then a week later, I saw blood in her stools & mentioned this to the breeder & the breeder then said... Oh yeah, that the kittens all had bloody stools when they were born....gawsh!! Some people!!
I have read of people being very successful when using colloidal silver on their pets for worms & lots of other ailments. Works great on people too.
I have been giving my cat a very natural garlic powder in a large amount mised in her food daily twice a day. Of course she acted the first day so childish, sitting at her bowl staring at the food and looking at me as if she was a child pouting. She walk away, but must have gotten very hungry in the night and ate it. out the next day and many days were these dried up tape worms *(which I know are shaped sort of like a grain of rice, but dried up dead as a door knob. ONLY problem was the way she must have gotten these is a friend thought he was being helpful while babysitting my inside cat by taking it outside to eat grass!
She must have gotten flea infested for we have 3 dogs next door, but the garlic didn't kill the fleas. I sent someone to buy me advantage or front-line, but I'm on short term disability and have been for awhile and can't afford. So, I got the cheaper $15 bio something for 3 mos.? Now I'm goign to try and add those 3 fresh garlic cloves minced up in a can of tuna and see what happens? Maybe with the 3 of them it will rid. I know for sue the garlic kills the ugly looking tape worms, but the fleas have to go too 'cause she just keeps licking her butt (yuck) and tail when they aren't dead and I'm sure they are still there. I washed her 3x's before trying this garlic in Adams flea N tic shampoo with NO success.......... onward I march to try the fresh garlic. thanks for home remedies!! :)
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.
I tried garlic on my dog and it may have expelled worms but it also dried out his beautiful shiny coat. The best way to do it is the vet med drontal but you have to deflea medication at the same time or before, cause they'll get worm parasites from the fleas right away again. I also tried the liquid med sold over counter at some pet stores 1/4 of the price and effective.
Posted by LC (Brooks, Alberta, Canada) on 04/08/2009
I am very happy to have found this website. I am curious about the garlic treatment for the parisitic dog. Would something like this work for a horse as well? Also, how much water for 3 cloves of garlic? Thanks.
Posted by Becky (Reno, Nevada U.S.A.) on 03/08/2009 ★★★★★
I have a litter of Yorkies.They are 4 weeks old.Somehow they got lice.I searched for a week to find something that was safe to use on them.I found your web site it said to use GSE grapefruit seed extract. I put 8 drops in 3 ounces of mild shampoo. Then I soaped them up and wrapped them in a towel making sure they stayed warm. After 5 minutes I rinsed them in warm water and watched the lice go down the drain. After they were dry. I combed the puppies to get the rest of the dead ones off of them. From what I have read I learned nothing kills the eggs. So I will repeat the bath every 6 or 7 days untill I am sure there are no eggs left. What a wonderful web site this is. I was amazed at the results of the GSE. Thank You Thank You Thank You
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