Diatomaceous Earth
So, at the pups' recent yearly visit, they dewormed them and charged me $50 each for two little pills. I know I can buy those online for $10, so I vowed never to do that again! But then I read about diatomaceous earth being used instead. It seems a much gentler way to deworm dogs than feeding them pesticides and I may just cut out the deworming pills altogether.
I was also thinking that this would be a good way to allay concerns about feeding raw wild game to my pups, too. I know some people who feed wild game to their pups deworm them more often to deal with possible parasites, but many people don't like the idea of giving harsh dewormers that often. Diatomaceous earth could be given more often without worrying about it being hard on their systems.
Anyone else use it? How do you feed it to them? I was thinking just mix it into some yogurt or liverwurst in a kong or something.
How often? I read that you should give it every day for one month to get rid of all worms, but if you're using as preventative or routine treatment, how often would you feed it then? Currently, I just deworm the dogs once a year as per my vet's advice. Neither had ever actually had worms as far as I know. So every day for one month out of the year, or what? Maybe once a week in between? Maybe along with any wild game to kill anything that might be hitching a ride in there?
I was also thinking that this would be a good way to allay concerns about feeding raw wild game to my pups, too. I know some people who feed wild game to their pups deworm them more often to deal with possible parasites, but many people don't like the idea of giving harsh dewormers that often. Diatomaceous earth could be given more often without worrying about it being hard on their systems.
Anyone else use it? How do you feed it to them? I was thinking just mix it into some yogurt or liverwurst in a kong or something.
How often? I read that you should give it every day for one month to get rid of all worms, but if you're using as preventative or routine treatment, how often would you feed it then? Currently, I just deworm the dogs once a year as per my vet's advice. Neither had ever actually had worms as far as I know. So every day for one month out of the year, or what? Maybe once a week in between? Maybe along with any wild game to kill anything that might be hitching a ride in there?
Comments
I use DE for external use on the chickens (control mites), to kill ant trails, and to protect garden vegetables from snails. It doesn't work when it's wet though, so I wonder about the internal use efficacy.
Found a couple threads: http://www.nihonken.org/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/5364/food-grade-diatomaceous-earth/p1
http://www.nihonken.org/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/4102/diatomaceous-earth/p1
If you are wanting to get off of chemical wormers your best bet is going to be to go herbal. The kind that we use for the goats year round, only worming 1x a year with Ivermectin (dogs still get there vet checks and are wormed there) is from Molly's Herbals. This woman does fantastic research in both the herbal and chemical remedies.
DE is fantastic externally, just don't breath it in...lol
Keeping in mind that this regime works for us as we are in a very dry climate where worms do not thrive in the soil etc...
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html
I haven't gotten them yet need to just in case. Some pet place sells food grade kind nearby.
Some raw feeders use it, but I'm not sure if it works I never asked.
I'm lucky Saya only kills, but doesn't eat mice or rodents and she will leave the rabbits for me to get. So I can freeze for while which I read is good to take care of parasites..
- As far a DE I am skeptical that product would fully take care of worming in a broad spectrum fashion internally. Worms are tricky characters and depending on type of parasite it can be hard to break the development chain unless you have medication that specifically targets individual species life cycle in its niche. The way DE functions, once the product is wet it would appear the diatoms lose their effectiveness to disrupt the eggs, even if the worms are reduced. Externally DE in dry form does help to reduce fleas topically and works great for areas where dogs do not inhale the particulates, for example under cabinets etc. In reducing fleas you could potentially reduce tape worms that would be accidentally ingested by your dog as it attempts to "deflea"/groom itself through biting. In this case external disruption of niche is helpful.
As mentioned above, in use of DE be sure to keep the powdery substance away from air vents and places where particulates will get stirred up. To remove, do not vacuum instead wipe up with wet sponge or wet mop off floors.
- Never assume game meat is free and clear after freezing.
Freezing to get rid of parasites in food is not applicable in a majority of cases. There are many species of worms, and with the variety not all types of parasites or eggs will perish with freezing, nor will various types of bacteria. This is why irradiation is used today as a form of preservation for consumer meats : /
Rabbits (wild and those improperly raised) are one creature that harbors differing protozoa, particularly since they ingest their own feces making it difficult to reduce parasitic overload once it starts. Again, to reiterate, bacteria and some parasites will still remain after freezing.
None the less, many dogs do live side by side as a host/harbinger of internal hitch-hikers without much notice by humans, sometimes many many years. However, once the immune system is compromised the dog will take a severe backward slide as the system becomes overly invaded with the internal freeloaders. Basically it's best to assume that any wild caught animal fed raw to dogs will carry some parasites and your dog will have some residual parasites in their system as a result, whether they are seen on a lab test or not. Ongoing parasitic management in such cases in a good idea.
Snf
Snf
Snf
I'd have to pull our vet records to see what was used recently on the dogs. I worm and vaccinate all of our livestock myself with Ivermectin (most often) but the dogs are treated more like fuzzy children and get wormed at their checkups... so I don't keep their wormer on hand in the house and embarrassingly enough don't know what was used on them this spring... Dogs are tested regularly for heartworm, we are in such a low risk area that we don't treat monthly for it.
I know that Ivermectin is strongly used in heart guard medication and should only be admin. by the proper weight dosages. I've never dosed my dogs personally with Ivermectin. Orally it is a relatively safe drug, (even given to people in some areas of the world) it's the injectables that people have to be very wary of. Injected can be fatal even in livestock if overdosed and most Ivermectins that you buy for livestock are either labeled as a pour on or as an injectable. There are a few drenches out there, but I was more cautioning in case someone thought of going to get a livestock Ivermectin and admin to a dog per label based on livestock... could be a very bad situation. Therefor, use vet recommendations!!!
The one I always remember (and do not administer) for the dogs is the Safe Guard. Saydee had a very severe allergic reaction to the Fenbendazole. The poor girl seriously looked like Scooby Doo and was miserable. So, I'll never keep that in the house again for any of our critters- and is a big reason why we worm the dogs at the vets only. I'm probably overly cautious about her having a reaction again
I have given DE to the dogs in food and externally as a complimentary therapy to the Rx wormers. No issues there either, but I still do a routine worming about 3 times a year since the dogs do catch and have eaten wild rodents and birds, and the CO does come in contact with wild animals while he is on the job. They are probably constantly exposed given that we are in heavily wooded areas in the country, and the chickens attract other animals.
I also worm the chickens and sprinkle DE and poultry dust around the nesting areas.