I have recently brought home 12 chickens. And while doing research on the best ways to keep them healthy, I came across numerous articles on DE (diatomaceous earth).

Food grade DE is used for horses, cows, goats, chickens, dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, about all farm livestock and yes, even humans to eleminate parasites.

DE is the fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is 100% natural and has some amazing properties to it.

It dries out the parasites, internal and external in warm blooded animals without causing any harm to the animal. (can be harmful to the eyes if direct contact because it is a drying agent).

Added as a food suppliment, it kills almost every internal parasite (such as GIARDIA, Hook worms, tape worms, etc) and it is NOT a chemical (such as the meds we give to treat these parasites) so the bugs don't build up a resistance to it and it doesn't have the nasty side effects that the chemicals can have. Used externally, it kills fleas, ticks, mites, and lice (probably other things too). It is used in chicken coops mixed in with the bedding to control odor from their poop, helps to keep their bedding dry (preventing mold) and helps prevent fly problems. I don't use bedding with my glider's cages though so don't think that would help.

While I don't know of anyone that has used this with gliders, I have to wonder if this would be as beneficial to gliders as it seems to be with all other warm blooded animals.

I would LOVE for others to do some research on this and give some feedback. With all the sites I've read, I'm just not seeing any negatives with the DE. But I am seeing a ton of health benefits.

From what I've read, it looks like if no one has tried this it would be REALLY worth looking in to.

I think I remember someone here posting they used it to get rid of sugar ants last summer.

There are alot of holistic vets. Perhaps you could google them and see if any treat exotic pets. If you give them a call they might have an answer for you or could at least look into it.

I know DE has been discussed on GC as far as getting rid of pests in the house (like fleas and ants). But have never heard of it being used internally with gliders.

My vet Dr. Ness at Ness Exotic Wellness Center does holistic care They are listed in the vet database.

I found this under the 'Cautions' on this page;
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/diatearth.htm


So it would not be something that should be used in breeding females, and should not be used continuously.

I would be interested to know what vets would say about this in gliders (my vet is out of town or I would ask her).

Im curious to this too but donot have a holisitics vet nearby.

Keep me updated!

From what I've found, there seems to be a low risk of problems (except inhaled, or to the eyes, as Dancing stated above).

I could ask Dr. Murray on Monday. I wonder what Dr. Tristan would have to say about this? With all of my bug problems, this sounds like just the thing, even if it is not fed to the gliders. Something safe that I can use around them that does not contain pesticides would be a Godsend.

The anatomy of a glider's digestive system is very different from most animals. I would be very hesitant to feed DE powder to them, There could also be a drying effect in the gut causing constipation or even possible an impaction which in a glider could be fatal.

Unless someone's vet can actually show us documentation that it would be safe to give to a glider - through some published research on its side effects - I would not risk the life of my gliders.

DE Powder works great in my POOL FILTER however.

The human food grade DE is MUCH different than what a person uses in their pool filter. What is used in the pool filters CAN be fatal to animals as it has been heat treated to create a crystaline form (glass).


Please share with us where you found that it could be drying to the gut, cause constipation or impaction. I've not seen that on any of the many websites I've visited.

Also, much of what IS given in the form of "medicines" to gliders has had NO research done on it either except through trial and error on sick gliders. There had to be a first glider to get baytril, metacam (which we KNOW causes liver damage but is still given to gliders) etc...

I asked Dancing to get a 5# bag of this stuff for ME. I have a cat who has serious reactions to any of the chemical flea repellants (Revolution, Frontline, Hartz, etc) and it doesn't seem to be killing off the fleas very well either.

This morning I put the first sprinkling of DE in everyone's breakfast & served it up (still talking CATS here people). Nobody turned their noses up to it.

My vet, unfortunately, wasn't in today...and I seriously fear that I have a parasite issue in my glider family...but here's another interesting fact from one of the websites on DE: "Fecal smears are only TWENTY PERCENT accurate" (let me crunch that into numbers for y'all: 2 out of 10 chances that you'll detect a FATAL parasite in your glider's poo...EIGHT OUT OF TEN that you WON'T!!! Now how good of odds are those? NOT GOOD ENOUGH is my answer!!) My poor little Mambo was FULL OF THEM and the vet didn't see them in TWO DIFFERENT FECAL EXAMS! Oh yeah, they were "numerous" and the damage they had done was quite visible after he DIED!! We need to get AHEAD of this train of death, not be trying to catch up with it an hour after it left the station!

Yes, I'm going to do my dutiful glider-owner thing & take a sample from one of the "M Family" into the vet's office on Monday morning...but THAT ONE glider is also going to get a PINCH of DE for a week, then THAT GLIDER will get a second fecal taken in for a re-check. Let's see what the microscope finds...

I also tried a "dab" of DE powder on my finger...it has a texture like corn starch & NO FLAVOR at all. (It's safe for HUMAN consumption too.)

Denise, you are very brave to try this with your glider. Please do keep us updated on the results of the fecals, I am interested in how well the DE does.

Denise, I'm have my concerns about giving it to gliders like I'm sure everyone does. The "bug" that took Mambo is such a nasty one (trichomonas) and is so very hard to get rid of. Peeper went through MONTHS of cleaning and sanitizing and meds for her gliders. Sadly she lost Peeper in the process. The DE is supposed to kill off the giardia so maybe, just maybe this is the chemical free answer to trichs.

Don't do anything with your gliders and the DE until you talk to your vet about it. Make sure you discuss all options and info you have about it with the vet. While we need to stop the death train, we don't need to be adding in stations either.

Please let us know what the vet has to say.

The dogs, horses, chickens and even me are all starting on the DE tomorrow.

Denise, if you look at the copy of Mambo's histopathy results that I e-mailed to you, you will see that there are actually TWO possibilities for the type of parasite Mambo had: 1) trichomonads 2) Hexamita. Please make sure you print out Mambo's histopathy results when you take the one member of the M-crew into the vet's for testing so your vet can read the full report. Also, I asked my vet about this and the fact that although Mambo had been tested twice - once in-house at her office and once by an outside lab - the results had come back negative. She told me there is a much better test that can be used when looking for giardia-type organisms (of which trichomonads is a very virulent type) - it is called zinc centrifugation. She didn't say how MUCH more accurate it is though. I have ordered it for both Pepe & Bittah, whose cage was just 6" from Mambo's while he was with me because I was going to introduce him to them.

Another interesting, vital point to keep in mind about Mambo came from correspondance with my vet, as well: So, in conclusion here, I agree with Teresa: Don't just automatically start your M-crew (even just one member) on the DE until you've discussed all of this thoroughly with your vet. Remember, we don't know WHERE along the way Mambo picked up the parasites during his brief life here on earth. It could have been at your house; it could have been at Leigh's while she had him; or, could have been after he came to my house... That is one of the reasons I am getting Pepe & Bittah tested...

I am very interested in this DE thing as well. On another thread I had asked about yucca powder. some of the research I did on it said it has some "cleansing" properties to the body and has been used to treat some parasitic infections, such as giardia. will try to locate the sites where I read that.

here they are:
http://www.yucca.com.mx/eng/prode.htm
http://www.ublcorp.com/yuccaproducts.html
http://www.viable-herbal.com/singles/herbs/s610.htm
still looking for the one that specified use in treating giardia.....

http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/yucca-plant-extract.php
note it mentions "reduction in atmospheric ammonia in confinement animal and poultry facilities, anti-protozoal and nematocidal activity, modification of ruminal microbe populations"
http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/yucca-plant-extract-anti-inflammatory-and-anti-arthritic-effects.php
note"Saponins are also effective anti-protozoal agents. Yucca saponins are as effective as metronidazole in killing giardia tropozoites in the intestine [14]. Thus, if the protozoal theory of causation of arthritis has any merit, a role of yucca in arthritis treatment can be advanced on the basis of the anti-protozoal activity of yucca saponins"

I bought two 5 lb bags to use with my skunks. The skunk people swear by it, saying it gets rid of fleas and can be used as a wormer but they say great care has to be taken that it's not inhaled by people or animals. I've used it in the skunks food and they don't seem to notice - like Denise says though, I'm really disappointed because it doesn't seem to be doing anything at all to get rid of fleas ON the skunks (which is the biggest reason I bought it). Don't know how it would work on something as small as suggies.

Don't you do a light dusting on the exterior of the animal for exterior parasites, being careful not to get it on their face (eyes & nose)? Sometimes internal dosages do not take care of external parasites.

This is an interesting topic. I have been thinking of some type of routine parasite prevention for my gliders. I am not comfortable with the DE for my babies as I can find no studies on the longterm effects of DE to very small animals.

I do however wonder what are the chances that I will happen to pick the right day to have my gliders fecals checked.

I have fecals checked twice a year. My vet uses the standard fecal float & smear not the "super fecal" so I think that with the potential for the fecal to not catch a bug due to it being inferior to the super & the chance that I chose a non-shedding day to test. I have real good chances of never catching a parasite.

Suz, I looked up some on the Zinc Sulfate Centrifugation and it still calls for several tests over several days & then still has about 70-93% success at finding the parasites.
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/courses_vm546/...trifugation.htm

How is your vet advising you to test? How many & over what period?

Have you discussed the option of preventive treatment with your vet? If so what are their thoughts on this?

What I read on it, was that DE should be used in small animals no more than 10 days at a time (10 days on, 10 days off, and for 90 days in full).

And what I read regarding external fleas was that you have to put the powder on the animal's coat to kill the fleas. Internal and external use is for two different reasons. Externally, DE is supposed to treat fleas, ticks, lice and other external parasites. Internally it may help treat internal parasites, has detox properties, trace minerals, may help with digestion, and may reduce the occurrence of coprophagia as well.

This is what I found on this website - http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html


From the same website, here are the cautions it lists;

You may think it is OK to experiment with DE Powder on your gliders but I think the risk is entirely too high given the little knowledge we have on the glider's unique digestive system. The glider's digestive system is entirely different from that of a cat, dog or human.

I located a recent article which comments on the unique anatomy of the digestive system of sugar gliders. It also comments on the fact that additional research is needed on the role of beneficial microbes in the gut of sugar gliders, which appear to be required by gliders to digest complex carbohydrates.

Dierenfield, Ellen S., PhD.CNS, Feeding Behavior and Nutrition of the Sugar Glider, Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice. Vol 12 Issue 2, (May 2009) pages 209-215

(Pg 211) Digestive Physiology: Anatomically, sugar gliders, unlike other arboreal possums but similar to other mammalian gumivores, have an enlarged cecum well-suited for microbial fermentation of complex dietary carbohydrates, such as gums. However, this assumption has not yet been investigated experimentally.

(Pg 214) One area in which further investigation is recommended is on the Sugar glider’s ability to ferment soluble fiber (gum) should be investigated. Their gastrointestinal tract anatomy suggests that they have a large capacity to harbor beneficial microbial populations, and their feeding ecology is heavily dependent on ingestion of plant gums to meet energy needs.
______________

I would have to wonder if feeding DE Powder to a glider might have an effect on the beneficial microbial population as well as killing potential parasites. I still wonder if its drying effect might have adverse effects on the glider's overall digestion and cause difficulties in the passage of stool through their system. I think giving anything like this without any evidence that it is SAFE to give to gliders is just too risky especially if you are expecting to be able to give this on a routine basis as a preventative against parasites.

I used DE when I lived in Vegas. It kept he roaches and black widows down. I never used it for fleas though. I'm gonna try this week. In layman's terms DE is crushed shell. It cuts the exoskeleton and the bugs dehydrate. I would be VERY careful when applying externally. It is dangerous when inhaled. Like inhaling tiny glass shards.

Then is it not like feeding the gliders little glass shards? Maybe not as damaging as to the lungs but wouldn't it be capapable of harming the digestive system as well?

Candy I also worry that while killing the harmful it will be knocking out the beneficial flora. What effect will this have on the gliders?

Okay, I hear all the words of caution being thrown out here. I am going to take step #1 and submit a fecal for the zinc sufate centrifugation test. I'm also going to ask that he contact Dr. Walsh AND Dr. Tristan to get their input on the DE powder.

I agree that "good" bacteria could also be killed along with the bad stuff & the parasites themselves...but antibiotics do that as well, and the solution is to feed them a little yogurt daily to counteract the antibiotics...right? I was thinking about putting the PINCH of DE powder on top of yogurt & administering orally with a needleless syringe...that way I would KNOW how much each glider got. There'd be no question of "did he/she get enough or too much?" etc.

I'm also going to do a water solubility test on the powder, to see its composition.

Don't panic: I know NOT to jump head-first into a spring-fed pool. But I'm going to get some SERIOUS gears in motion about this being a potential CURE for gihardia & MAYBE JUST MAYBE trichs as well.

Regarding the gut flora - there was a recent post discussing that fact that we have probably already really messed up their natural flora and digestive system by feeding them yogurt. (just food for thought since this topic has been brought up here)

I don't know if DE will be something that will be useful for us or not, but this is a discussion about the possibility that it may help with some of the gliders that have chronic, difficult to treat, or other parasite issues.

This is very interesting but everything has some type of side effect natural or not.

Since DE has many cautions about drying skin, etc., what about drying out the inside causing dehydration or worsening an existing illness?

I contacted Tristan about this the day that Dancing posted about it. He said he would look into it. I just spoke with him a few moments ago and asked him more about it. He said he looked into it and there really isnt enough out there on this to say one way or the other. He is willing to talk with other vets about it as well.

Thanks for checking with Dr. Tristan about this for us, Peggy.

SugareeErin, have you had a chance to mention this to Dr. Ness? I'd like to hear the input of an holistic vet as well.

Right now I wish I could sprinkle some of it around my house to eliminate some unwanted bugs....unfortunately, I came home to learn that my SNAKE is also on the loose somewhere. Therefore, until such time as HE is found, I can't do ANYTHING! I'm definitely NOT willing to take the chance of him slithering through this stuff & ending up.....you know....

I would worry about their tiny systems too! I'm not giving it to my babies until we get more info from a vet.


In the meantime
i will try it out on the fleas

Any updates here?

Not sure if it was already mentioned but through the Pellet diet list that we are making, I noticed that DE is an ingredient in one of the mfgs.

I thought it may be worth mentioning that all Pet Pro Happy Glider formulas include DE. Here is an example of the Pet Pro Happy Glider breeder Formula ingredients (After Algae Meal):

Chicken Meal, Toasted Yellow Corn Flour, extruded whole soymeal, soybean meal, extruded barley, fish meal, vegetable oil, whole dried eggs, extruded oats groats, corn gluten, soy hulls, blood meal, animal plasma, calcium carbonate, Vitamen E Supplement, salt, potassium chloride, Vitamin A acetate, D-activated animal sterol (source of vitamin D3), DL-alpha tocopheryl acetate (source of vitamin E), menadione sodium bisulphate complex (source of vitamin K), vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, niacin supplement, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrocholride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, folic acid, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxcide, zinc sulfate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, corn germ meal, dried kelp, dried tomato pomace, yeast culture, monosodium phosphate, sodium sulfate, ferric sulfate, magnesium oxide, cobalt sulfate, cane sugar, dl-methionine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, ferrous fumarate, sea salt, l-lysine, lecithin, potassium iodide, beta carotene, zinc methionine complex, hydrochloric acid, yucca schidigera extract, algae meal, diatomaceous earth, cobalt choline citrate complex, ferric choline citrate complex, calcium pantothenate, copper choline citrate complex, magnesium amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, calcium amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, copper amino acide chelate, cobalt amino acid chelate, thiamine mononitrate, ferrous carbonate, amylase, cellulose, maltase, phytase, protease, lipase, B. Bifidum, L. Plantarum, S. Faecium, L. Acidophilus, L. Salibarius, mixed tocopherols, citric acid, ascorbic acid, lecithin, rosemary extract.

Is that one of the soft-pellet foods? If so, I might get some to keep on hand and offer it as a treat or something. Hmmmm...

They are hard pellets. I have some of those pellets that came with my girl when I got her. I kept it on hand since I knew I'd be looking into the diet later.

The only soft pellet type of food I have encoutered so far is the Exotic Nutrition Insectivore-Fare aka Zoo-Fare aka Zookepper's secret.

It is typically recommended to use water or some sort of nectar to soften up the hard pellets. You may want to go this route if you really want to use those.

Please note that I am not advocating for any pellet diets nor am I recommending one over another at this time. My goal is to put out facts and let you determine whats best for you and your glider.

I would not give my gliders diatomaceous earth. If gliders have parasites, there are meds that effectively interrupt the life cycle of the parasite without harming the glider.

If one believes that "detoxing" is a necessary or even possible process that can be initiated by introducing specific minerals, powdered insect exoskeletons, foods, or vitamins to the digestive system, then one might consider using these products for him/herself.

But the theory of detoxing or cleansing the liver, etc is not a generally accepted aspect of Western healthcare. Our bodies, in the miracle of homeostasis, balance themselves if we give them a chance. And now that we have colonoscopies, we have seen the pretty pink intestines and they are not all clogged w/"toxins".

Diatomaceous earth cannot be used near the eyes. Therefore, applied topically, it doesn't work so well for fleas, mites, as they go to the face or near the eyes.

Sprinkled on straw bedding and worked in for chickens is a different story.

The caecum of the gliders (and the digestive tract of humans) will rebuild the natural flora. Yogurt or other probiotics might help but prebiotics such as acacia gum set up an environment in which the digestive system can do its work the best.

If diatomaceous earth was the cure-all that the holistic sites purport it to be (particularly the ones that sell it), it seems to me that its use would be more common in small animals.

If it works, great. Are your gliders going to be the guinea pigs? There are meds for parasites that do not permeate the digestive tract. Others are systemic and the location of the parasites and type of parasite determines the most effective treatment. Diatomaceous earth and other non-permeating chemicals cannot reach some parasites or their eggs.

Paying for more than a fecal float/smear is necessary if parasites that don't regularly shed is an issue. Roundworms are easy as they lay eggs and those show up in a smear/float. If you tell your vet what types of parasite you are worried about, he/she will know how to find it. Sometimes there is just no cheap way to solve a health issue w/ourselves or our animals.

It was recently suggested to me that when you suspect a parasite issue and it's one of the harder to find bugs, to have your vet run a SNAP test as that can detect them even when they're not being shed..

I agree with you Dee!

More important to me is the question, where are the gliders getting these parasites from to begin with? I have never had an issue with a glider having or getting a parasite except ONE rescue (roundworms and Giardia) I took in years ago that was in bad condition.

Foods prepared properly, not taking gliders outside to play or letting other people handle them should make a big difference. The type of water used has a lot to do with Giardia as what is considered "safe" for human consumption is NOT safe for a tiny animal. Not allowing other animals that do go outside around the gliders would make a difference too.

Gliders are marsupials, their bodies are delicate and not made like most any other animal. I simply will not "fix" something that is not broken when it comes to the health and lives of my precious babies. I will leave all "experimenting" up to the professionals and even then, I don't see a reason to treat something that simply is not there.

To me, this is no different than taking Chemotherapy to ward off any possible cancer cells or any other medication "just in case". Drastic way of putting it maybe, but then again, maybe not.

We have to give our outside and our animals that go outside (dogs, cats, horses, cows, chickens, pigs, etc) preventative meds because parasites are a threat to them.

Personally I think there are better preventative measures for our gliders than giving them something that could potentially be dangerous for them.

Measures for safeguarding our gliders against parasites should include strict quarantine for at least 30 days for any glider coming into our home. They should be taken to the vet within 48 hours for a well visit and routine tests and that should be repeated again 2 weeks and at the end of quarantine BEFORE exposing them to our established gliders.

Food and water should be clean, our homes should be cleaned regular and heavy cleaned (we track in dirt from outside) and our inside/outside animals should be on preventative meds and vet checked regular.

And last but not least, WASH your hand BEFORE handling your gliders!!!!

If you take these precautions, you can pretty much eliminate the possibility of exposing your gliders to parasites BUT there is always a chance of contamination and therefore your gliders should see the vet at least twice a year for well visits.

I've had gliders for over 11 years and have never had a parasite issue. I have dogs and birds in the house (used to have cats). I use tap water (always have).

Gliders coming into the home go through quarentine and vet checks.

Parasites have never been an issue with my gliders (knock on wood it stays that way).

I brought this up because...WHAT IF, those meds are harmful to the gliders? Does anyone know if there are any long term effects with giving marsupials (specifically gliders) deworming meds that has not been developed or researched for them? All the "meds" on the market were developed for cats/dogs etc...not marsupials. And they are all chemicals. I can almost guarentee there has been no studies how these chemicals effects the gliders short or long term.

WHAT IF...the DE IS safe for the gliders, causes no harm, short or long term yet the question of using it is never asked because "it isn't what is normally used"?

I'm not saying everyone should jump and start giving the DE to their gliders as a preventive. But what IF we can get some vets to do the research and it is determined that the DE is a SAFE way to rid gliders of the parasites without the risk of chemical side effect?

Oh, and it isn't for detoxing the liver but getting rid of parasites. (detoxing implies removing toxins and heavy metals, not parasites)

I have NOT given DE to any of my gliders. But I do think this is worth investigating and worth trying to get vets to give their input on and even research it.

I do give it to my dogs, horses, chickens AND take it myself. Have for a week now. I've not had any side effects at all. One of my dogs has/had tapeworms. She is being given the DE and will go in for another fecal next week to see if they have cleared.

astronoc...thank you for posting about the Pet Pro. While I do not feed Pet Pro to my gliders, I do have some in my freezer as emergency food (Jim, the owner of Pet Pro does suggest soaking in juice/water to soften before use). It is interesting to know the DE is in that food. I may just have to contact him to ask his opinion of it and why he uses it in their food products.

DEE, great comments!

I really want to express my opinion on all of this...LOL
I feel that investigating new ways to treat problems is a good thing but should be left to the experts...like vets, scientists and such. I certainly dont want to use my gliders for testing. HOWEVER....If your gliders have a problem and you want to try something new that has worked on other animals it MAY be a valid thing to try. I also always approve of using "natural" as opposed to man-made meds whenever possible. Again Yucca powder comes to mind for parasites, mentioned it elsewhere...no one seems to like the idea

As stated by Gretchen...we may already have messed up their digestion abit with what we feed them. And by Dee...acacia gum is good for them.

I feel if we attempt to improve diets we will see less problems even with parasites. When these gliders are in the wild there are dangers EVERYWHERE and yet they have survived. I think that sometimes we try to protect them TOO much and then they cant fight off anything that comes their way as their systems are so weakened. I am not saying here to just throw caution to the wind! I dont let strangers touch ANY of my pets...unless they wash first, and when I come home from work I shower and change my clothes before I play with them, But I also think that SOME exposure is good as it strengthens the immune system. A weak digestion would fail with parasites, but PERHAPS a stronger one can fight it off better with less damage. this is true of "germs" as well. people and animals that are exposed more often have stronger systems.
well...I guess that is my 1cent worth

I asked Dr. Ness today about the DE for parasite control. They sell a powder there that contains Diatom flour amoung other ingredients "Buck Mountian Herbal Gold" is the brand, its called "parasite dust for animals" Parasite dust info . It is used to treat fleas, ticks, mites and more, it is used EXTERNALLY You dust it on them, or on your carpets. It's 100% organic as well. (Remember that Dr. Ness practices holistic medicine also, he owns his own practice Ness Exotic Wellness Center and raised gliders himself years ago).

Dr. Ness said that the DE/parasite dust will only work for the external parasites. Injesting it will NOT take care of any internal parasites. He said that the parsite dusting powder they sell there will not hurt them if they happen to groom it off and injest some, however there are other things in it as well.

The DE used in Pet Pro food is there as a preservative. According to Dr. Ness is not harmful to the gliders in the food.

I do not know if pure DE would hurt them or not, from some of the things I've read it seems they sould not injest it, but apparently it is okay if it's in a mixture and injusted in small amount. Since it's not going to do anything there is no point to give it internally anyway. So there you go, sorry it took me so long to get the info.

Erin.

Thanks for talking to your vet about it. I know that after giving the DE to the dogs, they are now free of internal parasites (per fecal exams) where as before we had a big problem with tape worms. Living out here where I do, my dogs often bring home coyote kill left overs. Internal parasites are a huge issue.

Perhaps the DE being 100% DE just works differently/better than the "Buck Mountian Herbal Gold" which contains other things. Not sure but it sure has worked with the dogs.

I have not given any to any of my gliders and will NOT as a type of preventative. Knock on wood that I never have to treat for parasites with the gliders at all. (with the DE or any other thing)

Your welcome! Maybe it has to do with their metabolism? I had asked about the DE specifically that's when he brought out the powder since it contained diatoms. He seemed very sure internal injestion would not do anything, and had explained how it works, which was already mentioned on this thread so I left it out. I did not ask for any research or how he was so sure but jut trusted in his opinion so thats all I got on it.

Can anyone point to a page that shows the proper dosage for cats, dogs, and humans?

Had a mishap in my house with Diatomaceous earth. I used it in my glider room under all the moulding hoping to deter the slugs from coming in (mixed it with salt) and then I caulked all around so the gliders couldnt get to it. well one brave little insect (dont even know what it was) some how braved the DE/salt found a small hole and got in the room. Of course I checked the room before bringing in the gliders....but...somehow missed this one tiny bug and Arwen found it and ate it before I could stop her. I got a glimps of the dusted bug before she gobbled him up happily. she shook her head a bit after wards like trying to rid herself of the taste, but at this point what can I do? so she is being observed CLOSELY the next few days and will post here what happens. PRAYING ernestly no bad effects. was so happy to have a "glider room" but so far it has been a nightmare.