We have been getting some comments and some concern (mostly on the EPM facebook site) about the inclusion of Diatomaceous Earth in Renew Gold. This is a confusing issue in feeds, so, I thought it would be a good idea to explain why and how much we use it in our formulation.
First of all, DE has always been in our formula. In the past, some state's labeling rules restricted feed companies from adding ingredients to their list if they are under a certain, very small, inclusion rate. Since our inclusion rate of DE is under 1/10th of one percent it has fallen in that category, and therefore we did not list it in the past.
Since we reformulated, however, we chose to include it on the list, even though it is still at that same rate. We have not increased the inclusion rate of DE with the new formulation. Since some horse owners feed DE separately to their horses, we felt that they should know that it was also in Renew Gold. A one pound (454 grams) feeding of Renew Gold provides about 1/5 to 1/3 of one gram of DE. Since it is the smallest inclusion in the formula, it is listed last in the ingredient list. There is absolutely no risk to your horse at this rate. You probably have more DE in your toothpaste than this.
Why do we bother, why is it there?
Diatomaceous Earth can play a part in the non-chemical control of parasites by damaging the outer layer of new parasite eggs. The ability to affect later developed parasites is highly unlikely. It can, however, have an effect on the most tender newly produced eggs which prevents them from maturing into later stages.
The goal here is to lighten the potential damage to your horse's digestive system between regular dewormings. Since Renew Gold is designed to help your horse's digestive system be as efficient as possible, this is simply one of the ways we accomplish that.
Could we leave it out? Of course, but, there is added value here to the overall efficiency of the digestive system, which is our goal.