Has anyone used this for getting rid of fleas? I (like many others) have found frontline useless of late and was looking for something a bit more organic. It can be dusted on the animals and carpets.

I have heard of this as being very effective, but it worries me that it is classed as very dangerous if inhaled although safe if ingested. Seems to me there is a high risk of either me or the cat inhaling it if I am dusting it around and through their fur.

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Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

I've actually used it for flea control, many times. I've massaged it into the pets, and sprinkled it all over the carpet, all with wild abandon, as I hadn't read anything about how dangerous it is rumored to be to breathe--and I chose it as a safer remedy, since I have to be careful what I spray or dust around the parrot. Nobody had any issues, including the parrot, for what it's worth and it did seem to work.

I've also fed it internally, and took it myself just for good measure first to make sure I wouldn't have any issues (yes, I'm foolish enough to experiment on me before I give things to my little furbies! Now that's slavery!). No problems there either. It's supposed to take care of worms naturally, as it does the fleas.

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My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong

Wikipedia has this to say
Safety considerations

The absorbent qualities of diatomite can result in a significant drying of the hands if handled without gloves. The flux-calcined form contains a highly crystalline form of silica, resulting in sharp edges. The sharpness of this version of the material makes it dangerous to breathe and a dust mask is recommended when working with it.
The type of hazard posed by inhalation depends on the form of the silica. Crystalline silica poses a serious inhalation hazard because it can cause silicosis. Amorphous silica can cause dusty lungs, but does not carry the same degree of risk as crystalline silica. Natural or dried diatomite generally contains very low percentages of crystalline silica. Diatomite produced for pool filters is treated with high heat (calcining) and a fluxing agent (soda ash), causing the formerly amorphous silicon dioxide to assume its crystalline form.
The crystalline silica content of the dust's particulate is regulated in the United States by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and there are guidelines for the maximum amounts allowable in the product and in the air near the breathing zone of workers.

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Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

This might be for the pool grade stuff, whereas food grade is of a finer consistency. I have really sensitive skin and my hands didn't crack or have troubles. None of the pets got extra itchy--in fact, they were less itchy since the fleas died. I rubbed it in the rugs and their bedding--vacuumed off the carpets after a few days. No negative incidents to report.

I've since read that farmers will mix it into feed for cattle and horses and the like to stop clumping and for worming. I've also read the warnings, after the fact, and I guess if anyone had had a bad reaction, I'd have been kicking myself, but they were fine. I was fine and I drank it for like a month on a daily basis. It's supposed to provide beneficial minerals or something. I can't say it tastes good though.

I really didn't realize how controversial it was--on the corgi forum i sometimes speak of, the beliefs about it are all negative, although nobody has ever even tried it. They all think it's pure poison, because they think it's all the pool stuff. One person told me flat out it would slice through the intestines. Obviously it doesn't

__________________
My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong

Took me a little while to find this again, but it might prove useful:

Pet Flea Treatment | Natural Strategies for a Flea-Free Pet

Forgot to mention last time, since fipronil (the main ingredient in Frontline, at least in the US) is a known carcinogen, I'm more disturbed by that! And people STILL use it. But they are terrified of DE (I'd post some of the commentary I've seen on another forum, but I don't have time to do the searches right now). I really don't get it.

__________________
My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong

I have a friend who is a Homopathic practitioner and the owner of two Airedales. she buys this and puts it in to her dogs food (BARF fed) everyday. Her dogs never suffer from fleas or worms and she refuses to use any chemical spot on or tablet.

Her dogs are the healthiest airedales I have seen.

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Smiffy's Mum.



"If I've touched it, it's mine!"

Smiffy

Great article, thanks for that....and also for stating in BLACK AND WHITE that Fipronil ( and presumably other anti flea drugs ) are known to cause cancers.
I think a lot of people are brain washed into using these powerful....and expensive....chemicals way way too often. I have had multiple cats with outside access for 17 years and have maybe had 3 situations where I knew fleas were an issue. On those occasions I have used chemicals, on the cats and around the house to knock it on the head quickly.
I will go now and look in to ordering some DE!

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Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

I think folks are brainwashed because the vets are too. Certainly insecticides kill bugs, and we've all come up through this "better living through chemistry" era, either because we were born in the 50s and 60s or our parents were. The problem is especially bad in the US where we just blindly believe that 1) a chemical wouldn't be on the market if it weren't completely safe and 2) chemicals are always better. Definitely they do work better. DE will take a little longer to clear a flea problem--but if you then use it consistently you shouldn't have any other problems.

I admit I've resorted to using Advantix, just because I either noticed a lot of fleas, or hadn't kept up with the DE. And I never feel good about it, although it does kill the fleas quickly. I tried Biospot, and all the cats foamed at the mouth which was really scary . And I nearly bought Frontline, but then I read the bit about being a carcinogen. It's just not worth it. It doesn't help that my grandmother died from aplastic anemia and the doctors said it was probably her many years of using pesticides all over the garden, the grape arbor and her lawn--the garage was full of things made by Ortho!

Once again, as with food myths, I think big business has a hand in this. Flea treatments are certainly not cheap. A big old bag of DE is and will last forever. I bought an 11lb bag 2 years ago and I still have half of it left.

__________________
My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong

Well I went online and bought some so will soon be giving it a whirl for myself....not because we have fleas here ( scratch, scratch ) but because I read that it can help keep down the fly population and I DO have 6 cats pooping in my back garden all year round and even with frequent clean up patrols I do seem to get a lot of flies in summer.

__________________

Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!