The Pet Health & Nutrition Center Q&AAnswer
Sep 22, 2022 - 02:21 PM
Diatomaceous Earth is a great product to use for fleas. This is because it is very safe due to the fact that it does not act as a chemical insecticide, but instead kills fleas by dessicating them. The way this works is because DE is a powder made from fossilized algae called diatoms, and contains silica that makes it abrasive and drying. So DE damages the exoskeleton of the fleas and they then dry out and die. We love diatomaceous earth to use externally on dogs and cats with fleas and around the house as well. However, we have not found it as effective internally for parasites, although others have. A safe dewomer for dogs and cats that we recommend is Panacur. This medication is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic, meaning it specifically destroys parasitical worms. I know many people may be surprised that we would recommend a medication. However, in our experience while DE can work as a dewormer, it can take a long time and repeated use, while Panacur is quick, safe and effective.
