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My dog has a red circular spot on her back leg and keeps chewing it.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 1 year old | 3 lbs

My dog seems to have a distinctive, dark-red circular shape on her back right leg by her knee. She is constantly chewing at it. Picked her up from service animal training yesterday and noticed excessive chewing on this leg. Looked today and seen this as shown in the photos

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on October 28th, 2020

Ouch - poor Charly! As Dr. Melanie mentioned, it's possible that Charly injured herself. When dogs injure themselves, they tend to lick and chew at the injured area in an attempt to make it feel better. (Think about how you may rub your ankle if you twist it.) During their licking, some dogs then also cause damage to their skin. On the other hand, it's possible that she may have an infectious issue causing this skin lesion, such as mange or ringworm, or even a skin infection associated with underlying allergies. Ultimately, it would be best to take Charly to her vet for an exam. Your vet may recommend some diagnostic testing before recommending the best course of treatment. I hope that she's feeling better soon!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    This could be from an injury. It's clearly bothering Charly because she keeps biting at it. I would have her seen by a vet to get this diagnosed and treated. Give her vet a call now to see if you can bring her in today. Best of luck.

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