Diatomaceous Earth for Dogs and Cats: Feeding Guide
These measurements are estimates based on the 2% rule for food grade diatomaceous earth. Government regulations state that animals should not consume food grade diatomaceous earth in amounts exceeding 2% of their daily feed. These measurements are therefore based on a 2% feed ratio according to daily serving estimates for an animal of a certain weight. You may feed your animal more or less diatomaceous earth, depending on how much food he or she consumes per day, as long as the amount does not exceed 2%.
Dogs:
- Up to 10 lbs – 1 cup of food per day – 1 teaspoon DE per day
- 10 – 25 lbs – 1 – 2 cups per day – 1 -2 teaspoons DE per day
- 25 to 50 lbs – 2 to 3 ¾ cups per day – 2- 3 teaspoons DE per day
- 50 to 75 lbs – 3 to 5 cups per day – 3 – 5 teaspoons (1 – 2 tablespoons) DE per day
- 75 lbs and over – 5 to 8 cups per day – 5- 8 teaspoons (2 to 3 tablespoon) DE per day
Cats:
- 4-6 lbs – ¼ cup of food per day – ¼ teaspoon DE per day
- 6-11 lbs – 1/3 cup of food per day – 1/3 teaspoon DE per day
- Over 11 lbs – ¾ cup food per day – ¾ teaspoon DE per day
Please note: any addition to the diet of a very young animal can upset his or her stomach. When feeding food grade diatomaceous earth to young cats and dogs you may want to start with a lower dose and work up to the recommended amount.
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I started using this item last week for worms in my rescue animals. I have several animals with worms that I cannot seem to defeat no matter what I do. I am now using it on 4 week old puppies and worms are coming out everywhere!!!!!!!! It is horrific to see. My older animals are showing no relief as of yet but the amount of worms being expelled by the puppies is beyond my comprehension. Their mother, who is still nursing them, has worms I cannot manage to banish which led me to try this product. Given the size and age of the pups I have great hopes for the older larger adult animals in time.
February 8, 2012 at 9:16 am
Thanks for the comment Susan! Be sure to keep us updated!
February 8, 2012 at 9:50 am
I have was told by my vet that my two dogs have “Wipworm” and need to be treated all the time for it. They said it is in the soil in my back yard. What can I do to treat it? I have been using niematoads for flea and tick control for years. That works great for this problem but I was wondering about this new worm thing. I have gotten diatomaceous earth but have not started using it. Would it work on the soil as well if I dusted my ground?
January 15, 2012 at 4:45 am
Hi Dan,
While Red Lake Diatomaceous Earth is not registered for use against internal parasites (it is registered as an anti-caking and flow agent for use in livestock feed), many people do use it to worm their animals. As well, a recently published study indicates that it may help eliminate internal parasites in chickens.
Red Lake Earth can be fed to your dogs in an amount not exceeding 2% of their daily intake of feed. As for treatment of the soil, many people use our product for control of insects in their yards. While I cannot say as to how effective it might be against these worms, we do know that DE works well to kill most crawling insects. An insect or parasite must come in contact with the DE in order for it to be effective therefore, it is important to sprinkle the powder in areas where the worms will come in contact with the product. Try to keep the diatomaceous earth to areas where it will not be easily washed or blown away. As well, make sure to re-apply the powder if it becomes wet.
To read the study on the “Effect of Diatomaceous Earth on parasite load, egg production, and egg quality of free-range organic laying hens” please visit our website at http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com
Please note: due to copyright permissions this study is only available for viewing. If you would like a printed copy please contact us
January 16, 2012 at 10:19 am
What happens to your cat if you feed it more the the 2% ratio? Can they die? Do they get sick? I’ve been feeding my two adult cats who weight about 6 lbs I’d guess and it hasn’t killed their worms at all. It’s been over a month. I started out giving them a flat teaspoon then worked up to a heaping teaspoon (because it wasn’t working) and still nothing. I give it to them once a day. What am I doing wrong? When should I expect the worms to be gone?
December 23, 2011 at 1:55 am
Hi Dee,
The 2% is an amount that is set by the government as a regulation for using DE in animal feed. You may find other sites that suggest using amounts that are more or less than this. We must follow feed regulations therefore we suggest this amount because it is what is recommended by the government.
Unfortunately, diatomaceous earth is not registered for use against internal parasites and so we have no scientific testing as to how effective it is. We have heard many accounts of customers using Red Lake Earth Diatomaceous Earth to worm their animals however, without testing I cannot say how long it might take or whether it will work for sure.
The type of worms that your cats have may play a factor in the product’s effectiveness. The DE must come in contact with a parasite in order for it to kill them therefore we have only ever heard of it being effective against internal parasites that are found in the digestive tract.
December 23, 2011 at 8:35 am