Non-surgical interventions include three elements: weight control, exercise control, and medication. Canine massage may alleviate discomfort and help move lymph and nutrients through the system. Weight control is often "the single most important thing that we can do to help a dog with arthritis", and consequentially "reducing the dog's weight is enough to control all of the symptoms of arthritis in many dogs". Reasonable exercise stimulates cartilage growth and reduces degeneration (though excessive exercise can do harm too), and also regular long walks in early or mild dysplasia can help prevent loss of muscle mass to the hips. Medication can reduce pain and discomfort, and also reduce damaging inflammation.

Non-surgical intervention is usually via a suitable non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which doubles as an anti-inflammatory and painkiller. Typical NSAIDs used for hip dysplasia include carprofen and meloxicam (often sold as Rimadyl and Metacam respectively), both used to treat arthritis resulting from dysplasia, although other NSAIDs such as tepoxalin (Zubrin) and prednoleucotropin ("PLT", a combination of cinchophen and prednisolone) are sometimes tried. NSAIDs vary dramatically between species as to effect: a safe NSAID in one species may be unsafe in another. It is important to follow veterinary advice.

A glucosamine-based nutritional supplement may give the body additional raw materials used in joint repair. Glucosamine can take 3–4 weeks to start showing its effects, so the trial period for medication is usually at least 3–5 weeks. In vitro, glucosamine has been shown to have negative effects on cartilage cells.

It is also common to try multiple anti-inflammatories over a further 4–6 week period, if necessary, since an animal will often respond to one type but fail to respond to another. If one anti-inflammatory does not work, a vet will often try one or two other brands for 2–3 weeks each, also in conjunction with ongoing glucosamine, before concluding that the condition does not seem responsive to medication.

Carprofen, and other anti-inflammatories in general, whilst very safe for most animals, can sometimes cause problems for some animals, and (in a few rare cases) sudden death through liver toxicity. This is most commonly discussed with carprofen but may be equally relevant with other anti-inflammatories. As a result, it is often recommended to perform monthly (or at least, twice-annually) blood tests to confirm that the animal is not reacting adversely to the medications. Such side effects are rare but worth being aware of, especially if long-term use is anticipated.

This regimen can usually be maintained for the long term, as long as it is effective in keeping the symptoms of dysplasia at bay.

Some attempts have been made to treat the pain caused by arthritic changes through the use of "laser therapy", in particular "class IV laser therapy". Well-controlled clinical trials are unfortunately lacking, and much of the evidence for these procedures remains anecdotal.

There is no complete cure, although there are many options to alleviate the clinical signs. The aim of treatment is to enhance quality of life. Crucially, this is an inherited, degenerative condition and so will change during the life of an animal, so any treatment is subject to regular review or re-assessment if the symptoms appear to get worse or anything significantly changes.

If the problem is relatively mild, then sometimes all that is needed to bring the symptoms under control are suitable medications to help the body deal better with inflammation, pain and joint wear. In many cases this is all that is needed for a long time.

If the problem cannot be controlled with medications, then often surgery is considered. There are traditionally two types of surgery - those which reshape the joint to reduce pain or help movement, and hip replacement which completely replaces the damaged hip with an artificial joint, similar to human hip replacements.

Conservative therapies include NSAIDs, pain medication, weight management and exercise restriction. The problems with these therapies is that they do not work well, especially long-term.

The choice of surgical versus non-surgical treatments for osteochondritis dissecans is controversial. Consequently, the type and extent of surgery necessary varies based on patient age, severity of the lesion, and personal bias of the treating surgeon—entailing an exhaustive list of suggested treatments. A variety of surgical options exist for the treatment of persistently symptomatic, intact, partially detached, and completely detached OCD lesions. Post-surgery reparative cartilage is inferior to healthy hyaline cartilage in glycosaminoglycan concentration, histological, and immunohistochemical appearance. As a result, surgery is often avoided if non-operative treatment is viable.

Candidates for non-operative treatment are limited to skeletally immature teenagers with a relatively small, intact lesion and the absence of loose bodies. Non-operative management may include activity modification, protected weight bearing (partial or non-weight bearing), and immobilization. The goal of non-operative intervention is to promote healing in the subchondral bone and prevent potential chondral collapse, subsequent fracture, and crater formation.

Once candidates for treatment have been screened, treatment proceeds according to the lesion's location. For example, those with OCD of the knee are immobilized for four to six weeks or even up to six months in extension to remove shear stress from the involved area; however, they are permitted to walk with weight bearing as tolerated. X-rays are usually taken three months after the start of non-operative therapy; if they reveal that the lesion has healed, a gradual return to activities is instituted. Those demonstrating healing by increased radiodensity in the subchondral region, or those whose lesions are unchanged, are candidates to repeat the above described three-month protocol until healing is noted.

The goal of treatment in Panner disease is to relieve pain. Treatment for Panner Disease is very minimal because in most children the bones repair their blood supply and rebuild themselves and this leads to the rebuilding of the growth plate and the capitellum returns to its normal shape. The period of rebuilding and regrowth varies from child to child and can last anywhere between weeks to several months. To relieve the pain, the child is restricted from participating in sports and activities until the elbow is healed and to also rest the affected elbow. Rest will allow for the pain to be relieved and return of full elbow movement. It may also be recommended for children to apply an icepack or heat to the elbow to alleviate pain and swelling. If the child has great difficulty bending and straightening the arm then physical therapy may also be recommend. Occasionally, it is recommended for children to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen to also reduce pain and swelling. For treatment, Panner Disease heals well in children with rest and restriction of physical activity and sports using the affected arm. The prognosis is also good with treatment and the affected capitellum is remodeled. Irregularities of the capitellum and surrounding elbow area can both be seen by radiograph and MRI. When treatment is effective the flattened and fragmented capitellum is completely remodeled and returns to its normal circular shape, and also the high intensity signal on a MRI T2 series disappears. These results indicate that the capitellum is completely remodeled and the child is able to return to normal physical and sports activities.

Diagnosis is through x-rays, arthroscopy or CT (computed tomography). In cases with significant lameness, surgery is the best option, especially with UAP. However, conservative treatment is often enough for cases of FMCP and OCD of the medial humeral epicondyle. The dogs are exercised regularly and given pain medication, and between the ages of 12 to 18 months the lameness will often improve or disappear. Control of body weight is important in all cases of elbow dysplasia, and prevention of quick growth spurts in puppies may help to prevent the disease.

Surgery for FMCP consists of removal of cartilage and bone fragments and correction of any incongruity of the joint. Reattachment of UAP with a screw is usually attempted before the age of 24 weeks, and after that age the typical treatment is removal of the UAP. Without surgery, UAP rapidly progresses to osteoarthritis, but with FMCP osteoarthritis typically occurs with or without surgery. Osteoarthritis is also a common sequela of OCD of the humerus despite medical or surgical treatment. Elbow replacement surgery has been developed and can be an option for treatment

Although the exact cause of Panner Disease is unknown, in recent research, it has been concluded that it may be associated with frequent throwing or other athletic activity. In the same article that talks about varying osteochondrosis diseases, it is pointed out that Panner Disease always involves alteration of the capitellum, which can be visualized by radiography. In another research article, the research team aimed to summarize the best available evidence for diagnosis and treatment for Panner Disease. In the article it was found that the most common symptoms that patients with Panner Disease present with are elbow stiffness and swelling, limited range of motion, and limited elbow extension. In alignment with the previously mentioned article, the team of researchers also concluded that Panner Disease involves irregularity of the capitellum, specifically that it appears flattened. Panner Disease often gets misdiagnosed as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), and in this article they distinguish the difference between the two diseases are age difference and radiographic findings. In alignment with the two previously discussed articles, another article that reports on three case studies of Panner Disease, states that the primary treatment that is used for Panner Disease is rest and restriction from all physical and athletic activity that involves the use of the upper extremities; the activity is suggested to be ceased until the symptoms are relieved.

Osteochondritis is a painful type of osteochondrosis where the cartilage or bone in a joint is inflamed.

It often refers to osteochondritis dissecans (sometimes spelt "dessecans", and abbreviated OCD). The term "dissecans" refers to the "creation of a flap of cartilage that further dissects away from its underlying subchondral attachments (dissecans)".

The other recognized types of osteochondritis are osteochondritis deformans juvenilis (osteochondritis of the capitular head of the epiphysis of the femur) and osteochondritis deformans juvenilis dorsi (osteochondrosis of the spinal vertebrae, also known as Scheuermann's disease).

Osteochondritis, and especially osteochondritis dissecans, can manifest in animals as a primary cause of elbow dysplasia, a chronic condition in some species and breeds.

There are several different classes of pharmacological treatment agents that have some support for treating excoriation disorder: (1) SSRIs; (2) opioid antagonists; and (3) glutamatergic agents. In addition to these classes of drugs, some other pharmacological products have been tested in small trials as well.

SSRIs have shown to be effective in the treatment of OCD and this has provided an argument in favor of treating excoriation disorder with the same therapy. Unfortunately, the clinical studies have not provided clear support for this, because there have not been large double-blind placebo-controlled trials of SSRI therapy for excoriation disorder.

Review of treatment of excoriation disorder have shown that the following medications may be effective in reducing picking behavior: doxepin, clomipramine, naltrexone, pimozide, and olanzapine. Small studies of fluoxetine, an SSRI, in treating excoriation disorder showed that the drug reduced certain aspects of skin picking, as compared to placebo, but full remission was not observed. One small study of patients with excoriation disorder treated with citalopram, another SSRI, showed that those that took the drug significantly reduced their scores on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale compared to placebo, but that there was no significant decrease on the visual-analog scale of picking behavior.

While there have been no human studies of opioid antagonists for the treatment of excoriation disorder, there have been studies showing that these products can reduce self-chewing in dogs with acral lick, which some have proposed is a good animal model for the body-focused repetitive behavior. Furthermore, there have been case reports that support the use of these opioid antagonists to treat excoriation disorder. Opioid antagonists work by affecting dopamine circuitry, thereby decreasing the pleasurable effects of picking.

Another class of possible pharmacological treatments are glutamatergic agents such as n-acetyl cysteine (NAC). These products have shown some ability to reduce other problematic behaviors such as cocaine addiction and trichotillomania. Some case studies and some small studies of NAC have shown a decrease in picking by treatment with NAC, as compared to placebo.

Excoriation disorder, and trichotillomania have been treated with inositol.

Topiramate, an anti-epileptic drug, has been used to treat excoriation disorder; in a small study of individuals with Prader–Willi syndrome, it was found to reduce skin picking.

Behavioral treatments include habit reversal training, cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance-enhanced behavior therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

Several studies have shown that habit reversal training associated with awareness training reduces skin-picking behavior in those individuals with excoriation disorder that do not have psychological disabilities. Habit reversal training can include awareness enhancement and competing response training. For example, in one study the competing response training required participants to make a closed fist for one minute instead of picking or in response to a condition that usually provokes picking behavior.

There is a wide range of treatments for central nervous system diseases. These can range from surgery to neural rehabilitation or prescribed medications.

A number of medications can be used to treat this disorder. Alpha blockers and/or antibiotics appear to be the most effective with NSAIDs such as ibuprofen providing lesser benefit.

- Treatment with antibiotics is controversial. Some have found benefits in symptoms while others have questioned the utility of a trial of antibiotics. Antibiotics are known to have anti-inflammatory properties and this has been suggested as an explanation for their partial efficacy in treating CPPS. Antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, and macrolides have direct anti-inflammatory properties in the absence of infection, blocking inflammatory chemical signals (cytokines) such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which coincidentally are the same cytokines found to be elevated in the semen and EPS of men with chronic prostatitis.

- The effectiveness of alpha blockers (tamsulosin, alfuzosin) is questionable in men with CPPS. A 2006 meta-analysis found that they are moderately beneficial when the duration of therapy was at least 3 months.

- An estrogen reabsorption inhibitor such as mepartricin improves voiding, reduces urological pain and improves quality of life in patients with chronic non-bacterial prostatitis.

- Therapies that have not been properly evaluated in clinical trials although there is supportive anecdotal evidence include gabapentin, benzodiazepines, and amitriptyline.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any medications for trichotillomania treatment.

Medications can be used to treat trichotillomania. Treatment with clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, was shown in a small double-blind study to improve symptoms, but results of other studies on clomipramine for treating trichotillomania have been inconsistent. Naltrexone may be a viable treatment. Fluoxetine and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have limited usefulness in treating trichotillomania, and can often have significant side effects. Behavioral therapy has proven more effective when compared to fluoxetine or control groups. There is little research on the effectiveness of both behavioral therapy together with medication, and robust evidence from high-quality studies is lacking. Acetylcysteine treatment stemmed from an understanding of glutamate's role in regulation of impulse control.

Many medications, depending on individuality, may increase hair pulling.

TSC typically affects multiple organ systems and manifests differently in each patient and in different stages of the life course. Drug therapy, surgery, and other interventions can be effective in managing some of the manifestations and symptoms of TSC.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has approved several drugs for managing some of the major manifestations of TSC. The antiepileptic medication vigabatrin was approved in 2009 for treatment of infantile spasms and was recommended as first-line therapy for infantile spasms in children with TSC by the 2012 International TSC Consensus Conference. Adrenocorticotropic hormone was approved in 2010 to treat infantile spasms. Everolimus was approved for treatment of TSC-related tumors in the brain (subependymal giant cell astrocytoma) in 2010 and in the kidneys (renal angiomyolipoma) in 2012. Everolimus also showed evidence of effectiveness at treating epilepsy in some people with TSC. In 2017, the European Commission approved everolimus for treatment of refractory partial-onset seizures associated with TSC.

Neurosurgical intervention may reduce the severity and frequency of seizures in TSC patients. Embolization and other surgical interventions can be used to treat renal angiomyolipoma with acute hemorrhage. Surgical treatments for symptoms of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) in adult TSC patients include pleurodesis to prevent pneumothorax and lung transplantation in the case of irreversible lung failure.

Other treatments that have been used to treat TSC manifestations and symptoms include a ketogenic diet for intractable epilepsy and pulmonary rehabilitation for LAM.

Habit reversal training (HRT) has the highest rate of success in treating trichotillomania. HRT has been shown to be a successful adjunct to medication as a way to treat trichotillomania. With HRT, the individual is trained to learn to recognize their impulse to pull and also teach them to redirect this impulse. In comparisons of behavioral versus pharmacologic treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (including HRT) have shown significant improvement over medication alone. It has also proven effective in treating children. Biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral methods, and hypnosis may improve symptoms. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is also demonstrating promise in trichotillomania treatment. A 2012 review found tentative evidence for "movement decoupling".

Category III prostatitis may have no initial trigger other than anxiety, often with an element of OCD, panic disorder, or other anxiety-spectrum problem. This is theorized to leave the pelvic area in a sensitized condition resulting in a loop of muscle tension and heightened neurological feedback (neural pain wind-up). Current protocols largely focus on stretches to release overtensed muscles in the pelvic or anal area (commonly referred to as trigger points) including digital intrarectal massage, physical therapy to the area, and progressive relaxation therapy to reduce causative stress.

Aerobic exercise can help those sufferers who are not also suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or whose symptoms are not exacerbated by exercise. Acupuncture has reportedly benefited some patients.

For chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (Cat III), also known as CP/CPPS, which makes up the majority of men diagnosed with "prostatitis", a treatment called the "Wise–Anderson Protocol" (aka the "Stanford Protocol"), has recently been published. This is a combination of:

- Medication (using tricyclic antidepressants and benzodiazepines)

- Psychological therapy (paradoxical relaxation, an advancement and adaptation, specifically for pelvic pain, of a type of progressive relaxation technique developed by Edmund Jacobson during the early 20th century)

- Physical therapy (trigger point release therapy on pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, and also yoga-type exercises with the aim of relaxing pelvic floor and abdominal muscles).

Biofeedback physical therapy to relearn how to control pelvic floor muscles may be useful. Biofeedback is satisfactory for treatment of chronic prostatitis (with mainly voiding problems) during puberty.

Treatment for children suspected of PANDAS is generally the same as the standard treatments for TS and OCD. These include cognitive behavioral therapy and medications to treat OCD such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs); and "conventional therapy for tics".

A controlled study (Garvey, Perlmutter, "et al", 1999) of prophylactic antibiotic treatment of 37 children found that penicillin V did not prevent GABHS infections or exacerbation of other symptoms; however, compliance was an issue in this study. A later study (Snider, Lougee, "et al", 2005) found that penicillin and azithromycin decreased infections and symptom exacerbation. The sample size, controls, and methodology of that study were criticized. Murphy, Kurlan and Leckman (2010) say, "The use of prophylactic antibiotics to treat PANDAS has become widespread in the community, although the evidence supporting their use is equivocal. The safety and efficacy of antibiotic therapy for patients meeting the PANDAS criteria needs to be determined in carefully designed trials"; de Oliveira and Pelajo (2009) say that because most studies to date have "methodologic issues, including small sample size, retrospective reports of the baseline year, and lack of an adequate placebo arm ... it is recommended to treat these patients only with conventional therapy".

Evidence is insufficient to determine if tonsillectomy is effective.

A placebo-controlled trial of plasmapheresis and IVIG for PANDAS was conducted at the NIH in the late 1990’s, with children randomly assigned (by the NIH pharmacy) to receive plasmapheresis (unblinded) or IVIG/sham IVIG (double blinded). At one month evaluations, placebo infusions produced no improvements in OC or tic symptoms, while 100% of the children receiving IVIG or plasmapheresis improved. The average improvement in OC symptoms was 45% for the group receiving IVIG and nearly 65% for the children receiving plasmapheresis. The results of the trial were sufficiently robust to cause the American Society of Apheresis to include plasmapheresis as a treatment option for PANDAS, as well as for Sydenham chorea.

For treatment guidelines, refer to the PANDAS Physicians Network. PPN’s goal is to help medical professionals understand, diagnose and treat PANS and PANDAS. The network provides research, diagnostic, and treatment tools. PPN Guidelines for Diagnostics and Therapeutics are developed by PPN committees and advisors from the top academic medical institutions in the United States. The members have worked with, treated, and studied the patients and the disorder. PANS and PANDAS are interdisciplinary disorders, so the relevant disciplines are represented on the PPN committees and special advisory council. Some of the disciplines include: Psychiatrists, Pediatric Neurologists, Immunologists, Microbiologists, Rheumatologists, Geneticists, Otolaryngologists, etc.

Prophylactic antibiotic treatments for tics and OCD are experimental and controversial; overdiagnosis of PANDAS may have led to overuse of antibiotics to treat tics or OCD in the absence of active infection.

A single study of PANDAS patients showed efficacy of immunomodulatory therapy (intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) or plasma exchange) to symptoms, but these results are unreplicated by independent studies as of 2010. Kalra and Swedo wrote in 2009, "Because IVIG and plasma exchange both carry a substantial risk of adverse effects, use of these modalities should be reserved for children with particularly severe symptoms and a clear-cut PANDAS presentation. The US National Institutes of Health and American Academy of Neurology 2011 guidelines say there is "inadequate data to determine the efficacy of plasmapheresis in the treatment of acute OCD and tic symptoms in the setting of PANDAS" and "insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of plasmapheresis in the treatment of acute OCD and tic symptoms in the setting of PANDAS", adding that the investigators in the only study of plasmapherisis were not blind to the results. The Medical Advisory Board of the Tourette Syndrome Association said in 2006 that experimental treatments based on the autoimmune theory such as IVIG or plasma exchange should not be undertaken outside of formal clinical trials. The American Heart Association's 2009 guidelines state that, as PANDAS is an unproven hypothesis and well-controlled studies are not yet available, they do "not recommend routine laboratory testing for GAS to diagnose, long-term antistreptococcal prophylaxis to prevent, or immunoregulatory therapy (e.g., intravenous immunoglobulin, plasma exchange) to treat exacerbations of this disorder".

The treatment of choice is penicillin, and the duration of treatment is around 10 days. Antibiotic therapy (using injected penicillin) has been shown to reduce the risk of acute rheumatic fever. In individuals with a penicillin allergy, erythromycin, other macrolides, and cephalosporins have been shown to be effective treatments.

Treatment with ampicillin/sulbactam, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, or clindamycin is appropriate if deep oropharyngeal abscesses are present, in conjunction with aspiration or drainage. In cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, treatment consists of penicillin and clindamycin, given with intravenous immunoglobulin.

For toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis, high-dose penicillin and clindamycin are used. Additionally, for necrotizing fasciitis, surgery is often needed to remove damaged tissue and stop the spread of the infection.

No instance of penicillin resistance has been reported to date, although since 1985, many reports of penicillin tolerance have been made. The reason for the failure of penicillin to treat "S. pyogenes" is most commonly patient noncompliance, but in cases where patients have been compliant with their antibiotic regimen, and treatment failure still occurs, another course of antibiotic treatment with cephalosporins is common.

Treatment of Sydenham's Chorea is based on the following principles:

1. The first tenet of treatment is to eliminate the streptococcus at a primary, secondary and tertiary level. Strategies involve the adequate treatment of throat and skin infections, with a course of penicillin when Sydenham's Chorea is newly diagnosed, followed by long-term penicillin prophylaxis. Behavioural and emotional changes may precede the movement disorders in a previously well child.

2. Treatment of movement disorders. Therapeutic efforts are limited to palliation of the movement disorders. Haloperidol is frequently used because of its anti-dopaminergic effect. It has serious potential side-effects, e.g., tardive dyskinesia. In a study conducted at the RFC, 25 out of 39 patients on haloperidol reported side-effects severe enough to cause the physician or parent to discontinue treatment or reduce the dose. Other medications which have been used to control the movements include pimozide, clonidine, valproic acid, carbamazepine and phenobarbitone.

3. Immunomodulatory interventions include steroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, and plasma exchange. Patients may benefit from treatment with steroids; controlled clinical trials are indicated to explore this further.

4. There are several historical case series reporting successful treatment of Sydenham's Chorea by inducing fever.

Lesionsing is the intentional destruction of neuronal cells in a particular area used for therapeutic purposes. Though this seems dangerous, vast improvements have been achieved in patients with movement disorders. The exact process generally involves unilateral lesioning in the sensorimotor territory of the GPi. This process is called pallidotomy. It is believed that the success of pallidotomies in reducing the effects of movement disorders may result from the interruption of abnormal neuronal activity in the GPi. This ablation technique can be viewed as simply removing a faulty piece of a circuit. With the damaged piece of the circuit removed, the healthy area of the circuit can continue normal function.

A variety of over-the-counter and prescription anti-itch drugs are available. Some plant products have been found to be effective anti-pruritics, others not. Non-chemical remedies include cooling, warming, soft stimulation.

Topical antipruritics in the form of creams and sprays are often available over-the-counter. Oral anti-itch drugs also exist and are usually prescription drugs. The active ingredients usually belong to the following classes:

- Antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

- Corticosteroids, such as hydrocortisone topical cream; "see" topical steroid

- Counterirritants, such as mint oil, menthol, or camphor

- Crotamiton (trade name Eurax) is an antipruritic agent available as a cream or lotion, often used to treat scabies. Its mechanism of action remains unknown.

- Local anesthetics, such as benzocaine topical cream (Lanacane)

Phototherapy is helpful for severe itching, especially if caused by renal failure. The common type of light used is UVB.

Sometimes scratching relieves isolated itches, hence the existence of devices such as the back scratcher. Often, however, scratching can intensify itching and even cause further damage to the skin, dubbed the "itch-scratch-itch cycle."

The mainstay of therapy for dry skin is maintaining adequate skin moisture and topical emollients.