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Treatment

Often, the preferred method of treatment is surgery, especially if only a single nodule is present. However, in case of multiple nodules, a combination of surgery and medication works well. For example, if fungal or bacterial infections are involved, antifungal and  antibacterial medications will be administered, respectively.

If no organism has found to be the cause of the panniculitis -- also called a sterile nodule -- your veterinarian will prescribe steroids, to aid in the regression of the nodule. Vitamin E can also be given in mild cases.

Living and Management

Overall prognosis for dogs with panniculitis is often good after treatment. In some cases, it takes just three to six weeks for the nodule(s) to completely regress. Your veterinarian will ask that you bring in the dog for regular follow-up exams, where he or she will conduct routine laboratory tests to monitor the progress of the treatment. This is especially true if steroids are being used to regress the nodule(s).