My Yorkie has a dark, leathery patch on her knee. Should I see a vet?

Question

5 yr old yorkie 6 lbs with right rear leg issue. Historically shown patella issues when running, but has never whimpered or shown discomfort other than sometimes limping. Recently noticed a dark patch of hair on same leg at that "knee" location about the size of a 50 cent piece. The patch of black hair also feels slightly inflamed and leathery. Curious if this needs a vets attention or is a benign issue? Thank you. Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 5 years and 6 months old | 7 lbs

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

It is always best to have any abnormal area of skin examined by your vet. It is possible this could be a callus/thickened area of skin due to your dog laying on hard surfaces but we usually see these on the elbows and ankles, not often on the knee. We can see darkened thickened skin due to chronic inflammation due to infection or licking (some dogs will lick the area over painful joints) but can also see skin tumors. For this reason, I would make an appointment for your vet to check the area out and be sure it is nothing of concern!

My Yorkie has a dark, leathery patch on her knee. Should I see a vet?

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