I have been looking in to this supplement and many say it works as a natural wormer.
That I can understand as it is said to work in topical manner in the gut.
Do any champdoggers use DE for worming instead of chemical wormers?

I have also seen lung worm mentioned and don't understand how it could work for lung worm?
would be great supplement to give just for that purpose :-) Living in lung worm area...

Personally, I'd steer clear, there's no research to support the many claims for worming made about DE, although I doubt it will do any harm, it won't do any harm to intestinal worms either.

I agree with Celli, personally I would far rather get a worm count done (and they can test for lung worm)- no point treating what's not there. I raw feed and avoid chemicals etc where possible, but remain sceptical about DE, mainly because it can't be good for the lungs, and as a dust it would be hard to completely avoid inhalation.

It's supposed to work by breaking down the outer skin of fleas, worms etc, and then they dehydrate, but the intestines are a moist environment, so even if it did break down or damage the worms outer layer somehow, the worms never going to dehydrate in a moist gut environment
As to it working on Lungworm, well I'm totally flummoxed as to how that would work at all, unless it was inhaled, which I think could be dodgy to say the least .

A friend of mine (Sue Craigie, Imbali Rhodesian Ridgebacks) is a great advocate of DE and she sells it now. A few breeders I know have used it with their in whelp bitches and have had worm counts done on the bitches and the pups and have been clear. I've no idea about the lung worm though. If you google, you'll find her. She's very helpful :)

Been using DE for years and I buy mine as it is such good quality from Sue :-)

I am not going to advocate or criticise as each to their own but thankfully, all of my worm counts have come back clear and I have been using this stuff regularly, including taking it myself, for years.

I bought some DE for the first time a few weeks ago, after being impressed by a friend who has been having worm counts done regularly on a litter of pups. Mum had never had conventional wormers and so far no worms are seen in the pups.

The powder arrived very quickly, from Sue, with an information leaflet. To be honest I haven't used it for worming the silkens as it has to be given daily and forms a mud like compound with liquid. The Silkens just won't eat it no matter what I put it in, so they're sticking to drontal.

However I have been giving it to the collies, in a little natural yoghurt each morning and I'm delighted to say that my arthritic old girl is moving a bit freer on it.

Too soon to say if it's working as a wormer for the 2 dogs that will eat it, but it seems to have made quite a difference to Gem's legs. Gem is on previcox, she's been on glucosamine and chondroitin and other herbal/homeopathic remedies for years but her legs are really done :( Before starting the DE I had told my niece (who used to train Gem in agility) that we would have to let her go soon. Now she has a new lease of life, it may not last but every day is a bonus :)

I should be able to tell you in 2 months time whether it works for worms or not. I had worm counts done for all 4 of mine before starting the DE. 2 are eating DE and 2 are not, they are partly raw fed so wormed every 3 months, instead of routinely worming next time I'll do worm counts again. I guess proof for me would be if the silkens have worms and the collies don't. I'll update this in December :)

Edited to say I've found these guys cheaper than my vet for worm counts and very efficient. As with titer testing versus vaccinating, testing is more expensive than simply treating but I hope to build up a pattern of when I really need to worm rather than over expose them to chemicals unnecessarily.

Thank you everybody I have few worm count packs here so might just do my own experiment (if any of my dogs come as with worms!).
I really can not see how it could fight lungworm though...
I understand Lungworm does not always show in poop samples though so just clear sample does not mean no lung worm?
From my reading I have also come across some articles that say it is not as common as we are made to believe?

Normal worms don't scare me like the lungworm does for obvious reasons but I don't really want to treat for it with chemicals just in case...

Not meaning to offend but genuinely interested......does anyone think there is a possibility of a danger if DE is inhaled?

It may be completely unconnected but I used to use it in my chicken shed and if I didn't watch my labs they would be in there snuffling around for eggs and eating chicken muck....one of my labs now gets asthma. Have always wondered if there was a connection.

Ali

When you collect poo for the lungworm test you collect samples over 3 days.    I guess this gives a better sample than over 1 day - but it would be interesting to ask Wormcount.com for some figures re. how accurate they think it is.   I choose to place my faith in Wormcount as I really hate the spot ons, apparently you have to do them every month religiously to have coverage, and finally I don't think the coverage is very good.

So far my raw fed dogs have always come back completely clear for all worms & so haven't been wormed for over a year.   We live in Berkshire & they don't seem to get ticks/fleas which is pretty lucky.

I would say that like any dust, there is a danger if DE is inhaled. The instructions do warn against inhalation. Although it is very effective there are still precautions that need to be followed :-)

Just thought of the fact lungworm eggs are seen in poop samples,
this would mean they do visit the gut at some point in the life cycle when mature?
Off to read more about it :-)

Just thought I'd update this, I still can't say if DE is any effective as a wormer, but I can say that I was probably worming my lot too often.

I had worm counts done in December for 4 dogs, all clear, that's the 2 that were having daily DE and the 2 that weren't. I got a new pup in November and carried on his conventional worm treatment, along with DE till December, just DE since.

I lost one collie girl, so pup and other collie are on DE, the other 2 silkens are not having any worm treatment at all. Done another wormcount in April - all clear for all 4.

The 3 silkens had to be wormed with drontal in Germany the end of April to comply with pet passport regulations, pup is still having daily DE as is elderly collie. I'll do worm counts again around August.

To sum up, no difference in the dogs that are and aren't eating daily DE, no worms in any of them.

I have to say though that it is cheaper to just worm them than test, just as it is cheaper to vaccinate than titre. It's difficult to know what's best as I've never really had any ill effects from conventional wormers, apart from the odd one off throwing up episode.

with regard to inhalation I would have thought the way it is used in chickens could pose a risk but if you are adding a teaspoonful to food I cant see it any more dangerous that custard powder. I am however a little more cautious if dusting the coat . However that has to be balanced with the problems of toxic chemicals that are in flea and worm meds.
Incidentally I had discussion with vet over worming indoor cats. He would not accept that worm count would be accurate enough as it would only show those coming out in the poo and not in his opinion confirm if the cats was worm free

This is an interesting study about Diatomaceous Earth.

Also this regarding the risks of longterm inhalation of DE.

The first study is interesting and I suspect the way my own small study will go.

The 2nd study I don't think bears much relevance. I don't think we can or should compare taking a spoonful of DE out of a bag and mixing it with yoghurt once a day to someone working full time in a DE mine, I suspect that similar results are found in any mine, yet coal is relatively safe for us to use :D

I rather like my science but decided to try DE and my lot have had no conventional working since December. Plan to run some worm counts soon. Have to say it may be coincidence but so far no digestive upsets, loose bowels etc

K