What is in the food that is making animals sick?
The cause of the illnesses has not yet been confirmed, and the FDA and laboratories are continuing to evaluate samples and reports of illness or death. The substance melamine has been detected in the affected wheat gluten, corn gluten and rice protein concentrate, but it has not been definitively determined as the cause of the illnesses and deaths. Other substances that may be in the food, such as cyanuric acid, ammilene and ammilide, may react with the melamine and increase the toxic effect. Because the cause is not confirmed, the treatment can not be specifically directed to one cause. Generalized treatment for kidney disease and vomiting is recommended until a more specific treatment can be determined.
