yorkshire terriers back leg.

Question
hello diana,
the problem is with my 7 month old yorkshire terrier bitch. she was let out to play in the garden, but when she came back in she wasn't using her rear right leg, and it's either lifted up or dragging behind her. she's not yelping in pain, and seems to be no obvious injury, but on inspection she can't/wont straighten the lower part of the leg and just above the joint to the lower limb something seems very tight (muscle/ligament?) where as the other hind leg does not have this.
thank you very much for your help,
Thomas Cassidy.

Answer
What you have described sounds quite likely as though your dog has a patellar luxation.  This happens most frequently in small breed dogs and involves the kneecap slipping sideways out of the channel it is intended to lay in.  Most commonly this will show itself while the dog is running and the patella slips out of position.

The dog will be unable to position the leg normally for a while and then may go back to using it fine again.  The luxation, untreated, can continue to occur and eventually lead to arthritis.  I would suggest having your veterinarian examine her.  In some cases surgical treatment can be very beneficial.

Best of luck to you and your canine companion.