The Pet Health & Nutrition Center Q&AAnswer
Feb 08, 2025 - 09:57 AM
We provide food-grade Diatomaceous Earth for our customers. There is a very important difference between the food-grade DE that we offer and non-food grade. Non-food grade DE is used for industrial purposes, such as for swimming pool filters for example, and contains a much higher concentration of crystalline silica. This type of silica in high concentrations can be more irritating to lung tissue. All diatomaceous earth can be harmful to small invertebrates such as worms and other insects and that is why it is often used as a natural insecticide for fleas. DE is not a "poison" and instead acts as a desiccant that dehydrates insects. Our food-grade DE is safe to consume for dogs and cats, and though safer than its non-food grade counterpart, can still be a lung irritant. That is why under the Instructions tab on the product page we provide a caution statement suggesting that wearing a mask when distributing the powder around your house for fleas or other insects may be appropriate.
