We are not veterinarians, and this is not veterinary advice. Every clinical statement below is attributed to a named veterinary source and linked, so you can check it against the original rather than take our word for it. Where the evidence is genuinely unsettled, we say so instead of picking a side. If your dog is in pain or cannot bear weight, contact a vet today. Last updated 2026-08-24 · How we source our content
If your Yorkie has started holding up a back leg, a torn cruciate ligament is one of three conditions worth having in mind — and in this breed it is arguably the least likely of them. Getting the right answer first matters, because they are treated completely differently.
The Yorkie is not on the cruciate high-incidence list
The American College of Veterinary Surgeons names the breeds with known higher incidence of cranial cruciate ligament disease: Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Staffordshire Terrier, Mastiff, Akita, Saint Bernard, Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Labrador Retriever. All large.
Yorkies do rupture cruciate ligaments. But this breed carries two other well-documented problems that produce the same headline symptom — a small dog limping on a back leg.
The three candidates
1. Medial patellar luxation (the kneecap)
Breeds with short, bowed legs — Yorkshire Terriers, Chihuahuas, toy poodles, Pomeranians, Pekingese — are predisposed to medial patellar luxation, where the kneecap slips out of its groove (Cornell, VCA). Small dogs carry roughly twelve times the risk of large breeds, with higher risk in females.
Classic pattern: an intermittent skip — a few strides on three legs, a shake or a backward kick of the leg, then normal again. It comes and goes rather than persisting.
2. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (the hip)
This is the one most owners have never heard of, and the breed connection is striking: the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals ranks the Yorkshire Terrier as the number one breed affected by Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.
The femoral head — the ball of the hip joint — loses adequate blood supply and the bone dies and collapses (VCA).
Classic pattern: slowly progressive hind-limb lameness that worsens over weeks to months, pain around the hip, and muscle wasting in the affected thigh. Crucially, it usually appears early — commonly between 3 and 13 months of age. Diagnosis is by radiograph, and treatment is typically a femoral head and neck ostectomy (FHO).
3. Cranial cruciate ligament disease (the knee)
Per VCA: sudden or intermittent lameness, "toe touching," stiffness after rest, sitting with the leg kicked out sideways, thigh muscle loss over time.
And a complication specific to small dogs: in dogs under 15 kg, 45–61% of those with a cruciate rupture were reported to have concurrent medial patellar luxation. Cruciate disease frequently occurs secondarily to the kneecap problem. So it is not always a question of which one — sometimes it is both, in that order.
Age is your most useful clue
Not diagnostic, but genuinely informative:
| Age when it started | Worth having high on the list |
|---|---|
| 3–13 months | Legg-Calvé-Perthes — this is its classic window, and the Yorkie is the OFA's top breed for it |
| Young adult, intermittent skipping | Medial patellar luxation |
| Middle-aged or older, persistent lameness | Cruciate disease, often with patellar luxation alongside |
If your Yorkie is a puppy or young adolescent with a worsening hind-leg lameness, mention Legg-Calvé-Perthes to your vet by name. It is diagnosed on radiographs, and it is not a knee problem at all.
Why this matters before you buy anything
A stifle brace is designed to limit abnormal forward movement of the tibia. It does not treat a kneecap that leaves its groove, and it does nothing whatsoever for a collapsing femoral head in the hip.
Two of the three conditions above are not knee problems. Buying a knee brace for a limping Yorkie before anyone has examined the leg has a meaningful chance of being the wrong product entirely — and, more importantly, of delaying a diagnosis where age matters.
What to do this week
- Book an examination. Say how old your dog was when it started, whether the limp is constant or intermittent, and whether it is getting worse.
- Film it. Twenty seconds of your Yorkie walking away from the camera will show a vet the skip you may have stopped noticing.
- Ask about all three. "Could this be the patella or the hip rather than the cruciate, and how would we tell?"
- Ask about radiographs if the dog is young — Legg-Calvé-Perthes is diagnosed on x-ray.
- If you want a specialist, find an ACVS board-certified surgeon.
If it is confirmed as a cruciate tear
There is genuinely encouraging news for a dog this size. Reported outcomes for non-surgical management are far better in small dogs: 85% of dogs under 15 kg were normal or improved at 36 months, against 19% of dogs over 15 kg. Work comparing surgery and non-surgical treatment in small-breed dogs under 10 kg found both improved in the short term with no significant difference between them.
That does not mean skip the vet — it means the conversation about conservative management is on much firmer ground for a Yorkie than for a Labrador. Rehabilitation appears to matter: around 66% success at one year among dogs managed non-surgically with rehabilitation.
Also ask specifically whether there is concurrent patellar luxation, and what grade. Where both are present, veterinary literature describes procedures addressing both in one operation.
If bracing comes up
Read our brace comparison framework first, and note two small-dog specifics:
- Measurement precision matters far more. A 1 cm error on a Yorkie's leg is a large proportion of the limb. Our measuring guide explains the three measurements and why you take each twice.
- Check the measurement range, not the size name. Some "extra small" products are scaled-down medium designs that fit toy breeds poorly.
Frequently asked
Are Yorkies prone to torn ACLs? They are not on the ACVS high-incidence list, which is dominated by large breeds. They are strongly predisposed to medial patellar luxation, and the OFA ranks them the top breed for Legg-Calvé-Perthes. A limping Yorkie needs examination rather than assumption.
What is Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease? The femoral head loses adequate blood supply and the bone deteriorates and collapses. It usually appears between 3 and 13 months of age, causing progressive hind-limb lameness and thigh muscle wasting. It is diagnosed on radiographs and often treated with a femoral head and neck ostectomy.
My Yorkie skips for a few steps then walks normally. Is that a torn ligament? That intermittent skipping pattern is the classic description of a luxating patella rather than a cruciate tear. Both can be present, and only examination can sort it out.
Can a small dog recover without surgery? Reported outcomes are much better in small dogs — 85% normal or improved at 36 months in dogs under 15 kg. Whether that applies to your dog is a judgement for a vet who has examined the joint.
Does a knee brace help a luxating patella or Legg-Calvé-Perthes? No. A stifle brace addresses forward movement of the tibia. It does not treat a kneecap leaving its groove, and it does not address a hip problem at all.