What causes a dog's cheek skin to harden and shed like a reptile?

He could have a skn infection or possibly an allergic dermatitis. You could bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo and see if that helps. Otherwise, have him examined by your vet to determine the cause and treat the problem. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, and/or corticosteroid to help treat.

Although I can't tell for sure, the area in the picture appears to be a hotspot. A hotspot occurs when an animal scratches or chews at an area to the point of causing trauma to the skin. Often times these areas are moist and very irritated but a large scab can form after some time has passed. Given the location of the lesion, I would be concerned that Lola has been scratching at her ear. I would monitor her for shaking of the head, discharge or redness in the ears or scratching at that area. If you notice any of these signs, she may have an ear infection. Other potential causes for the lesion other than a hot spot would be trauma, mange or an auto-immune issue. If the lesion is not resolving or seems to be getting worse, I would recommend that you have Lola seen by your veterinarian. They may recommend a skin scraping or cytology to better determine what is going on.

Poor guy. This looks like a hot spot (bacterial infection), which is caused by any skin irritation or knick to the skin. I would highly recommend taking him back to your vet for antibiotics at this point. You can also purchase an over th counter hot spot spray from your local pet store if you need something to use right away. This will help with topical relief and also treat the infection topically. But ultimately oral antibiotics are a must here. I would also recommend getting Jerry on a high quality flea preventative such as Bravecto, Nexgard, or Simparica just to name a few . A lot of hot spot cases are caused by fleas. I hope this helps get Jerry’s skin back to normal quickly. Best wishes and take care.

It would be helpful if you could attach pictures to help us assess what might be going on. Dry skin from dietary issues or sensitivities, contact irritation and some skin disorders can be associated with similar signs. If he is lame or uncomfortable, or dislikes you looking at them, a full vet check as soon as possible is advised

Reoccurring skin infections could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Secondary infections from yeast or bacteria are common. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Sonny wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This looks like a focal area of infection, commonly referred to a hot spot. I would recommend taking Sophie to the vet to have the area clipped and cleaned. Sophie will probably need to be on antibiotics to help the skin heal properly.

You will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your dog could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. Each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the the rash. Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications, possibly give an injection to stop the itching, if your dog is itching.