can anyone tell me if this brand of Diatomaceous Earth is foodgrade? i want to use it on my dog and cat for fleas

i want to put some on the dog and cat.
since it says on the website safe to use around animals i assume i can powder them right up.

it says its ORMI listed..

I would not have that stuff around me
the particles are so tiny they can pass thru the soft tissue in your lungs and become lodged

try apple cider vinager/water in spray bottle

i did, it burned all his skin from scratching so much.hes a big dog too.
i bought this bag after trying three stores.
its the only thing i could find.
its for killing pests, not cleaning a pool.

wallymart doesnt even SELL DE anymore the woman told me.

Diatomaceous earth doesn't work on insects with exoskeletons. Try something else.

if it is food grade it will say it. I would not trust anything not saying it.

i am not going to ingest it.
just want to put it in the dogs fur.
it should work for that right?

I had real trouble with diatomaceous earth when I tried to use it to kill flies and fly eggs crawling/flying in and around my composting toilet - the toil cost me close to $1,000 ten years ago new. The stuff I bought at the pool supply store did not work at all. It obviously wasn't the real deal. I wonder if this is even available anymore. Don't trust salespeople. They know nothing.

For fleas, keep checking out natural alternatives.

Try buying real D.E. online somewhere through a health food retailer. I haven't looked into it.

i keep reading there are two types of DE and one is pool grade.

the feed store in town has the food grade but it will be a long time before i have an extra twenty bucks for that.

the kind i do have says its safe for the animals bedding so im assuming it wont hurt his skin.

I have used it on my dogs with no side effects. Best to use food grade and if it doesn't say so then its probably not. Its cheap so get some where they can tell you if it is or not.The particles are very fine. If your going to dust your dogs then do it outdoors. I cover my dogs heads with a towel to protect their eyes and so they don't breath it in. Don't use to much and part the hair to get it on the skin not on top of the coat. Lightly rub your hand up and down their back. I put it along the top of the spine only.Start by their collars and down to the tip or start of tail. It works on soft shelled types of critters and mites. If you put it in their beds work it in so as to not have a dust cloud later. It will plug up your vacume filter if you use to much as it is fine stuff. It works on Bed Bug Infestations also.

Apple Cidar Vinegar is great stuff for hotspots and scratching due to dry skin and Allergies. I give mine a bath with tea tree shampoo and then while wet pour dilluted apple vinegar on them. Make sure its cut with water x3 as it will sting if they have been scratching and have abrasions. Apple cider vinegar works on head lice also. Full strength and work into your scalp a couple times a day for a couple of days and their gone People should drink a little everyday in their water also. About a tablespoon in a glass of water. Very Healthy.

the website specifically states what i bought is NON-TOXIC
[link to www.saferbrand.com]
but the bag itself doesnt.

www.earthworkshealth.com. has food grade

yeah thanks, i know where to get the food grade, but that is not what im asking.
if its non-toxic i should be able to powder the dog with it right?

so i also want to use this out in the grass to kill fleas.

do i need to repowder the grass after it rains?
we are having daily afternoon rains here in central florida...

Vet says NOT to put it on animals.

It is for the yard, etc.

Borax/boric acid 'roach powder' is safe for inside in the carpet etc.

permaguard - check that site for use on pets. I use food grade on my pets. from Earthworkshealth.com

Last Edited by calin on 07/22/2012 01:11 PM

You would be far better off to Google this shit than asking some random fool here.

the feed store in town has a 40 pound bag for twenty bucks.
im DEFINITELY going to be ingesting that one..

really looking forward to de-worming myself.
and giving some to my family and pets.

some people even LOOK like they have worms, in their guts.

well it is nontoxic so im gonna powder the dog and work some into my bedroom carpet.the rest of the house is not carpeted.
need some outside for flies.
we are rural so there is no trash pickup.plus the horses out in the field and the cows and stuff.flies.
nasty.

and they say this stuff kills TERMITES!

whuuut??
holy shit if that aint a conspiracy thread in itself.

well this is my last resort, kindof.
ive been googling my question for a few hours now straight.
im even halfway through the longest DE glp thread.
several glp DE threads that were no help...

im not being lazy

This brand, according to their website, contains bait along with the DE. Great for gardening. But I would look to other brands for the pets.

Do you have a feed store nearby? They carry food grade DE as it is fed to cattle.

Or go online and order DE Fossil Shell Flour

Another choice would be Pennyroyal..Very Strong mint, often sold/grown as ground cover. Grows wild in my yard,a few sprigs rubbed on a flea covered critter will make the fleas jump ship so fast it looks like a wave.

Keep away from eyes and tender personal places, don't use on pregnant animals..otherwise works great..non-toxic.

Can be found as an aromatic concentrated oil..just a few drops in a cup of water and work through coat with your hands.

I use it on myself for mosquitoes...been using it since the 90's on myself and pets.

Actually, if you ask a vetrrinarian, it DOES work on insects with an exoskeletons. Do some research, you are an idiot. Vinegar??! That will nurn. You must be a guy who sells poisonous pesticides and tries to discourage natural organic pest killers.

[link to www.earthworkshealth.com]

I use this for pets and myself. also outside in the yard.

It gets under the ectoskeleton of the fleas etc. and dehydrates them.

FOOD GRADE!

I can't tell you if its Food Grade or not. I use St Gabriel organic insect dust. The older packaging has a food grade sticker and the newer packages have a paw print indicating pet safe.. their # is 800 801 0061 or to can Google them and they have a website that has a store locator. I have used this product for a couple of decades without incident. Their staff is helpful and can answer questions. This is the the only brand I trust since I used it for so long. I use it around all my animals, on their bedding and on them for flea control.in my house and garden for other critters . I suggest you don't use the lowes and depot product us this product or others suggested here.
I hope you find this helpful. If cost is of concern. I just paid under 15 $ for a bag.

you're going to need chemicals, DE will not solve an active flea issue.


find something labeled for broadcast spraying on carpets/floors & add an IGR to the mix..reapply after 2 weeks..even if you don't see anymore fleas.

take the pets to the vet & have them bathed in whatever the vet recommends.

also consider what else may be bring pests into your home..mice, rats, birds, bats, etc(they all carry fleas)..and seal them out.


vacuuming will go a long way in removing eggs.

good luck.

The POOL GRADE stuff is TOXIC. DO NOT use it on your animals. MAKE CERTAIN it says "food grade" on the label. Otherwise, DO NOT USE IT on your animals. I know you're not feeding it to them, but they will lick themselves, and it is TOXIC if not food grade.

YES, IT CAN AND WILL. I use NOTHING else on my cats. NO FLEAS, NONE, for several years! The stuff the vet puts on them is POISON. My cat cannot tolerate it.

Also got rid of tapeworms. Fed them FOOD GRADE DE, sprinkle it around the house for fleas, ants, everything.

1) The SAFER brand is NOT food grade. It has dessicants added to it which could be harmful if ingested. Since these are "inert" ingredients they are not required to list them on the packaging. Per its label, the SAFER brand of DE can be used in animal bedding and carpets, however, it should not be used in a way that would cause it to come into and remain in direct contact with skin (human or animal). If so it could cause the skin to become dry and irritated and could cause a pet to itch or bite at the area.

2) Food grade DE can be used in direct contact with the skin (and can be safely ingested and be used in food preparation areas), but you must be very careful when applying it to minimize dust and to wear a proper mask as if it is inhaled into your or your pets lungs it can cause serious damage. My reco would be to mix it in with some water before applying to the animal, stirring the mixture frequently as it will settle to the bottom of the container.

3) DE most certainly DOES work on bugs with exoskeletons. It will kill a typical household ant within about 1 to 2 minutes after coming into contact with it. It also works very well on bedbugs, but again one must be very cautious when applying it so as to protect against breathing it in.

The customer service idiot you were told about is an ignoramus.

DE can be effective but it is messy. Go to the pet store and get Vet's Best Natural Formula spray. It has peppermint oil and clove extract. After about five days of sppraying my dog the fleas didn't want to jump on him anymore. Very easy to apply, smells good and no mess. It did not irritate his skin either. It was around $12 i think.

What insects do not have exoskeletons? By my understanding, that's part of the definition along with their having six legs.

Of course it works on insects with exoskeletons. It'll likely work even better on insects without exoskeletons if you can find any to try it on.