There are several different treatment options available for treating colitis in dogs. When choosing the most effective treatment, a veterinarian first needs to take into account the cause of a dog's Colitis. This is very important in choosing the best treatment option for curing a dog of Colitis.
If a dog's colitis is being caused by a parasitic infection, a veterinarian may prescribe anti-worming
medication as an effective treatment. Each anti-worming medication works differently, and many of
these medications have visible side effects. Some medications paralyze the parasitic organism, so
that it can be either digested or passed through a dog's system.
Some medications help eradicate parasitic infections by specifically targeting harmful organisms.
Since each type of parasite may have a different type of medication that is most effective, it's
important that a veterinarian positively identifies the type of parasite that is causing the Colitis
(such as whipworms, Giardia, tapeworms, etc).
In some cases, an irritated bowel may cause a dog to experience Colitis. If a veterinarian positively
identifies this to be the cause, proper treatment can be started. Most dogs that have chronic Colitis
will be put on a special "Therapeutic Diet" by a veterinarian. These diets are specifically designed
to eliminate certain ingredients that may be causing a dog's bowels to become irritated.
Each veterinarian may take a different approach to a Therapeutic Diet, but many veterinarians recommend
easy-to-digest foods such as chicken, rice, cottage cheese and eggs. However, this type of diet
is largely dependent on a dog's individual nutritional needs.
If a veterinarian identifies a dog's colitis to be caused by a bacterial infection, several different types of antibiotics may be prescribed. An example of an antibiotic that is used to treat Colitis in dogs is called Metronidazole, which also goes by the brand-name "Flagyl". Depending on a dog's specific type (and severity) of bacterial infection, a veterinarian may prescribe one or several different antibiotics.
If a veterinarian discovers that a dog's Colitis is being caused by a cancerous tumor, several
different treatment options may be available. Chemotherapy is an option, though is usually only
used for severe tumors that can not be easily removed. If a tumor is able to be removed without
much difficulty, a veterinarian may recommend surgically removing the tumor as the best course of
treatment.
In some cases, simple oral medications may be prescribed as an anti-cancer treatment. For any anti-cancer
treatment option, the type of treatment depends largely on the location, size, and type of cancer
that has been discovered.