Diatomaceous Earth

Has anyone here had experience using human grade DE? I bought a bag of some from a local small independent pet store, due to the sales clerk swearing by it. I just wanted to get some feedback. 

1) Apparently it can be used to rid of all manner of worms, with the exception of heart worm I think, because that is transferred via mosquito through bloodstream.

I've come across 1 teaspoon mixed in the wet food, for 7 days. 

De-worming every 3 months or so, does that sound about right for prevention/treatment?

2) It's also supposed to be great for controlling ticks/fleas/mites on your cat, or furniture, carpeting and so on. 

Or, is this too much of a pain and do you folks just use Revolution once a month?

I have used DE on my carpets and floors to get rid of fleas, but never ON my kitties or fed to my kitties.  I know you can use it outside to control pests such as fleas, ants, and roaches.

Since my kitties are indoor only, I only treat them for fleas quarterly.

Revolution is a heavy hitter when it comes to wormers and should only be reserved for a serious infestation of tapeworms. I would NOT use this once a month. If you are looking for a milder form of wormer, there is Strongid. That said, unless your cat hunts and kills a lot, or your area is bad for fleas and ticks, you should not have to apply wormer more than twice a year. If your cat is indoor only, you shouldn't have to use a wormer at all unless your cat has come in contact with fleas. Strongid should take care of everything except tapeworms.

I haven't tried DE on my cats, but have heard that it can be effective for fleas and worms. I have used it around my plants in the garden to deal with earwigs and leaf-cutters. Rather than adding something I am not sure of, to my cat's food, I prefer natural flea and tick sprays that you can get that don't contain any toxic ingredients. My two adopted cats have never had fleas or worms, and I live in the country surrounded by lots of bush. Our little Tuxedo however, came bearing a mild case of fleas when he showed up at our door as a stray. I used Advantage (and dosed everyone) that one time as we were dealing with a definite case of fleas, and so, while I prefer to use a natural flea and tick preventative, when it comes to dealing with an infestation, I will use prescription-strength Advantage. You can go a long way in preventing fleas and worms simply by ensuring that litter boxes, bedding and carpets are kept clean.

Most vets here use Revolution religiously with all rescues as it treats ear mites, tapeworms, roundworms, and hook worms as well as fleas.  Revolution is the only brand that prevents heartworms and if you live in an area that's prone to heavy mosquito infestations, it's one of the best things to have in your arsenal.  I have given it monthly in the past with no negative side effects, but now choose to not give as many chemicals to my kitties, plus it's so expensive.

Yes, I would agree that Revolution is no doubt very effective in treating ear mites, all types of worms, and fleas, but to use this as a preventative every month is overkill I think. While its possible for cats to get Heart worms, from what I have read, it is significantly less common in cats than dogs. Plus the size and number of worms that can affect a cat, are again, much smaller than with dogs. Heart worms in cats have a much shorter lifespan than in dogs, and for this reason its possible for cats to rid themselves of Heartworms without any intervention. I think young cats can probably handle Revolution and Drontal better than older cats, but as both are very toxic, my preference is to use these meds only when necessary.

 All right, you guys have given me something to think about thanks. 

My cat is indoor only but I do give him frozen raw meat, like pork or chicken, rabbit, duck as treats.  Is there a chance that certain worms can be transferred that way? 

1 & 1/2, it sounds like you're not a proponent of preventative de-worming, but rather deal with case by case basis when it comes to worms, or fleas etc.  Is that right?  I'm more than likely over thinking this.  Being my first cat and all and it's now April. 

He's scratching a bit near the ears sometimes with a bit of a head shake.  He's tested negative for mites but perhaps it's something else. 

I suppose I could give him a bath once in awhile too. That would surely kill little biters  

I heard you can put petro jelly (vaseline) on their ears/butt when you bathe your cat to prevent the critters from dashing away from the water into warm areas. Hmm...

Marc999 said:

 
 All right, you guys have given me something to think about thanks. 

My cat is indoor only but I do give him frozen raw meat, like pork or chicken, rabbit, duck as treats.  Is there a chance that certain worms can be transferred that way? 

1 & 1/2, it sounds like you're not a proponent of preventative de-worming, but rather deal with case by case basis when it comes to worms, or fleas etc.  Is that right?  I'm more than likely over thinking this.  Being my first cat and all and it's now April. 

He's scratching a bit near the ears sometimes with a bit of a head shake.  He's tested negative for mites but perhaps it's something else. 

I suppose I could give him a bath once in awhile too. That would surely kill little biters  

I heard you can put petro jelly (vaseline) on their ears/butt when you bathe your cat to prevent the critters from dashing away from the water into warm areas. Hmm...

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While it is possible for cats to develop worms from raw meat, cats don't automatically get worms from raw meat. There has to be contamination there in the first place and so the sources of raw meat that you purchase is important, AS WELL as safe handling practices such as washing your hands before and after working with raw meat. You can eliminate a lot of the risk by freezing the raw meat for a few days before serving.

I do believe in worming prevention, but I don't think this needs to be every month. I usually worm my cats once in the spring and again in the fall. My Tuxedo has proven to be a prolific hunter in that he caught and killed two voles this winter (but didn't consume them). So, I will be worming him and everyone else, shortly.

The head shaking in your cats can signal different things besides ear mites - Wax buildup, yeast, allergies. If its mites then you would see dark coffee-ground-like stuff in the ear canal. A good product for cleaning the ears and reducing the chances of ear mites is to use something like Ubavet which is a liquid and is quite mild. You can get this from your vet who can also show you the proper way to clean the ears using this product. This is what you are looking for : http://thepetpharmacy.ca/ear/ubavet-ear-cleansing-solution_500ml_liquid

Rather than petroleum jelly, I would use a bit of cotton ball in ears when bathing a cat.

Thanks 1.5, you're a fountain of knowledge  

Marc, since your kitty is indoor only, I'd go with less frequent applications.  As I mentioned, I only treat quarterly.