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Diatomacious Earth
1st lets look at what Diatomacious earth is. According to Wikipedia it is fossilized algae. And its very sharp microscopically.
The benefits are many within the home. Most animals can have it added to a dust bath to rid themselves of external parasites, or taken internally for internal parasites. Its also a good source of calcium and intestinal cleanse. With external parasites the sharp edges of the diatoms rub on the exoskeletons of some parasites causing it to break and dry the parasite out. Its also used in gardening with gastropods to defeat slugs. Using diatoms on other species of pests is questionable and not proven effective.
So the question remains, is is safe for rats? And the answer is yes and no. It depends on how you use it. Rats are different from many creatures in that they have a strong predisposition for respiratory illness. Much more so then the other species we use diatoms for. So using it externally is out of the question for our rats. The sharp edges of the diatoms will slice up the rats respiratory tract and cause severe damage. However you can add it to wet foods. So that the rat can take it internally and not breathe it in.