# diatomaceous earth, safe?



## Saly (Jun 3, 2012)

Is this a safe option to give to my little cat, she has been coughing, and I know this could be due to worms??
Sally


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## Whaler (Feb 13, 2011)

is it safe? as long as you don't overuse it or allow the kitty to inhale the dust yes it is. efficacy of it is (seemingly) so-so, at least based on my use of it with my colony. 

i put it in my cats food daily and still have seen tapeworm as well as roundworm in the fur near their anus. however, the 2 of them that i have seen with the worms are very skilled hunters - within a hour of eating their breakfast today one of them had caught a small mouse and the other came dashing up to me and proceeded to drop a large mole out of his mouth - so, at least with these 2 it is an extreme scenario.

to treat them with dewormers would be a never ending battle, not to mention my concern about the toxicity with frequent usage. what i might try to do this year is continue to use the d.e. every day and once or twice give them doses of dontral, at least to the 2 "killers".

remember though, d.e. is not fast acting. so it may be a good idea to see if you can get your vet to give you some dontral or you could also buy some panacur-c which is available w/o a prescription.


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## shan841 (Jan 19, 2012)

i think that giving diatamacious earth for coughing is a far stretch. coughing could be caused by all types of things, the best thing would to get diagnosis from a vet before you choose how to treat it.


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## Cat'sHouse (Apr 5, 2012)

Isn't diatomaceous earth used to spread along the edges of walls/floors so that bugs walk on it and it gets into their skeletons and dries them out? I thought I heard that as a remedy for some bugs once. 

What would be the purpose of adding it to a cats' diet? Just curious.


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

If you add it to the cat food, make sure it is food grade. And it is hazzardous to inhale. 

Yes, it is used as a "natural" treatment for bugs, especially fleas. 
The idea behind feeding it to pets is the sharp edges of the pieces of DE are supposed to kill worms.

While a cough can be a sign of worms, it is usually a severe infestation at that point. DE is not going to work quickly enough to help your cat. The cough can be a sign of many things and a vet should be consulted for treatment. You don't want to be treating for worms when it is really a heart issue, for example.


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## Saly (Jun 3, 2012)

*called vet tech*

I will be getting something from the vet to put in her food instead, probably works better, and also safer! Will keep you posted on how my little Benny is doing!
Sally


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