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Treatment

This is a painful condition, so attention will be given to your dog's comfort level and steps will be taken to encourage the appetite. Concurrent disorders will also be treated.

Dietary changes are typically recommended. Removing all fish products from the diet and focusing on a nutritionally complete, balanced, commercially-prepared food diet is one of the first steps. Your dog may require tube feeding for a while until its condition has sufficiently improved. Your doctor may also prescribe Vitamin E and possibly corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. Surgical treatment may involve draining the lump, or full removal of the lump. Antibiotics will be prescribed if the lump is found to be infected, or to prevent infection after treatment.

To avoid further complications that can result from licking and biting at a healing wound, your veterinarian may advise you to keep an Elizabethan collar on your dog until the wound has fully healed.

Prevention

Feed a commercial diet that is balanced to meet all of your dog's dietary needs.

Living and Management

It may require weeks to months for resolution of this condition, but the prognosis is good once the primary cause of the steatitis has been treated and an appropriate diet is established.