Sore on lower jaw

Hey all. My dog has a sore we noticed a few days ago on his outer lower jaw. Worried its more than just a cut and appears infected. Any thoughts?   Thanks. Rob

Hello!  Do you know how that happened?  How long has it been there?  Is it getting worse, better or staying the same and finally, is it painful? There looks to be a superficial skin lesion with a deeper portion centrally.  Is there any possibility that that could go very deep eg a tract to the tooth below or a bite wound?  Or is it just that simply scratched himself and there is superficial skin infection? - even if so, the superficial skin surrounding it looks very red so infection could it be spreading outwards. I have seen holes like this appear because of severe underlying dental abscesses, cat scratches, mild trauma (knocking it against the end of a log etc), scratching own skin due to eg pre existing tooth ache or jaw pain, simply knocking a scab off an old crust, even infectious disease (I'm not sure which country you're in) and cancer. Therefore, it's well worth putting this one past your vet.

When we talk about 'infected,' it could be that the normal skin pathogens - yeast, bacteria etc may have penetrated the skin superficially, or may be more going on more deeply.  The former can sometimes be treated with superficial shampoos; the latter may be tackled with systemic antibiotics.  I would suggest that your vet be given the option to check the area in case of either of these possibilities.