Wyrtaz Bloat
Causes
The disease is caused by malnutrition and an improper diet in dragons, most commonly by foods heavy in starches, sugars, and fiber.
Symptoms
Wyrtaz Bloat causes indigestion and stomach aches as the gut's bacterial biome is interrupted, making digestion of food difficult. Diarrhea, excessive gas, and constipation are also common symptoms. If left untreated, the bacterial biome of the gut can be completely disrupted and taken over by bacteria that feeds on the starches and sugars consumed, creating gasses and inflating the intestines. Inflammation caused by the irritation often makes the swelling worse and causes the entire abdomen to become bloated. Severe cases of the illness, especially those with constipation as a symptom, may cause ruptures and tears of the intestine.
Treatment
Treating Wyrtaz Bloat is simple. For a period of up to 10 days, the dragon affected must fast in order to correct their gut biome and slowly be reintroduced to a proper diet. With no further food heavy in starches and sugars, bacteria causing the symptoms starve and die, and the symptoms of the disease resolve. Severe causes in which gas buildup and inflammation have caused severe bloat may require surgical intervention to relieve the pressure to prevent the intestines from rupturing, as well as repairs to damaged areas of the gut.
Prognosis
The vast majority of cases are temporary with few ill effects besides temporary embarrassment and mild discomfort. Most will never see severe symptoms, and the illness can often be treated at home without medical intervention. Those severe cases requiring surgical intervention may result in lifelong damage to the gut, severe bloats occasionally cause stretch marks, wrinkled skin, or odd scale patterns if left untreated.
Affected Groups
While the illness only is known to affect dragons, it is most common in the very young, the very old, and disabled individuals that may have high difficulty hunting and feeding themselves proper diets. Such dragons are known to supplement their diets with junk and mortal foods, which often contain filler not meant for draconic consumption. It is much less common in non-urbanized areas, being practically non-existent in livestock towns. Poorer individuals are more likely to contract the illness, due to relying on cheaper foods that may be contaminated or not up to proper nutritional values.
History
The disease was officially diagnosed by Dr. Wyrtaz Mashova, a dragon epidemiologist from the Lightning Dragonflight in 12,731 investigating reports of a widespread illness in Portugal following a famine. Although Mashova believed it may have been caused by a bacterial infection at the time, it was later determined to be caused by poor diet, and the bacterial bloom a symptom, rather than the cause. The illness was post-humorously named after Dr. Mashova.
It is thought that the illness may have been prevalent during the The War of Black Ash, as many records of dragon attacks describe them as being desperately hungry, swollen, and on occasion, dying when their 'balloon bellies' were ruptured. Dragons during this era may have been so aggressive to humans and their kin due to the disease and their attempts to resolve it with a proper diet of meat. Many ancient records of 'fat, lazy, and near catatonic' dragons may in fact be of those suffering the later stages of severe cases, in too much pain and discomfort to move.
Some theories into the long disappearance of the dragons attribute it to outbreaks of the disease, though it is not confirmed.
Comments