Let us know more about Diatomaceous Earth!
Diatomaceous Earth, which is also called DE, is made up of thin, minute, single celled organisms known as diatoms. When you look through these organisms, you will notice that the organization of skeletons in these diatoms are made of a natural hard substance, silica. As the diatoms pass over a long period of time, the hard skeleton gets deposited and slowly fossilizes in various areas of water bodies, especially the sediment of streams and oceans. Slowly, the left over sedimentary deposits are collected by the lab scientists to create a highly tough substance, the diatomaceous earth. These substances are often used to protect pet cats and kittens from various harmful insects. But the question is, is diatomaceous earth safe for cats?
Is Diatomaceous Earth Safe for Cats?
Before knowing whether diatomaceous Earth is safe for cats let us understand how does Diatomaceous Earth Work?
Diatomaceous Earth has an abrasive, sharp edge through which it can easily penetrate into the exoskeleton of an insect. After this, the highly absorptive power and a large surface area helps in absorbing oils and fats, thus drying them out and finally killing them.
Now, if diatomaceous earth is so effective, can you use diatomaceous earth on cats?
Diatomaceous earth for cats and kittens are effective only when you want to kill insects and parasites by bringing it into direct contact with the diatomaceous earth. Thus, the treatment with DE may differ accordingly with the type of parasites you are dealing with. Therefore, if you are planning to purchase over the counter flea and tick medications for your cat, that may cause to be very dangerous. Reportedly, a lot of cats have died on using these treatments. But, the other alternatives of traditional flea and tick medications can be even more dangerous. Also, diatomaceous earth actually proves to work to treat cats with external parasites. So, for your alternative and for a very safe side, choose to use food grade diatomaceous earth as this one is completely safe for your cat. Unlike the other medications, this one is completely harmless and will not kill your cat or leave patches of raw skin.
So, while choosing the diatomaceous earth for your cat, always go for the food grade diatomaceous earth only as this is the only safe type among all medications. Whereas, the Industrial grade diatomaceous earth, is too tough and harmful for your cat. The industrial grade diatomaceous Earth is mostly used for pool filtration. It is absolutely unsafe for your cats. So, make sure that you make the right choice on this.
Is diatomaceous earth safe for kittens? How can you use it safely for the little ones?
As I told you before, the diatomaceous earth is superbly absorbent for the tiny insects. However, the powdered form can actually irritate the eyes, skin, and lungs of your cats and kittens considerably. Thus, you need to keep this in mind and take precautions during the moment of use near your pets especially the tiny ones. You can also consider talking to your veterinarian and before usage, getting handy with all the instructions on the bag, so that you can easily use it safely.
