(((Hugs))) for Zeke and you of course. Hoping the antibiotics work quickly for him.

I had a dog who had to have tablets 3 times a day and like your's could find it in most foods and spit it out.We bought a block of slicing liver pate(Sainsbury's off the deli),I think the smell was stronger than the tablet and he took it ok everytime. Good luck,hopes he gets better x

I hope Zeke's feeling better soon ~poor lad

I don't know if this would help but one of my dogs has suffered from harvet mites for the last couple of years. It has caused terrible itching, chewing to the extent that his paws were red & raw. The best way I found to deal with it was to use the Dene's Hot Itch Lotion, then I got some elasticated tubular bandages which I cut into lengths that went from paw to halfway up his leg. I got some of the self-adhesive bandages (bright pink, unfortunately for Barney!) & wrapped that top & bottom of the tubular bandage. I would put the bandages on just before meal times, or just before I gave him a chew stick or something, so it would take his mind off the bandages.

It was the only think that worked for me & that Barney didn't try to remove. I tried socks but I found that he didn't want to walk ~ I've got tiled floors & I suspect that the socks right over his paws made him slip on the floor. But with the tubular bandages I could leave his pads free so he could walk more easily.

It does seem likely that Zeke's compromised immune system is the cause of the skin problems.

Best wishes to you & Zeke & I hope he's feeling better soon.

What a good idea! He loves liver, but never tried pate so that would be a right treat, will try that, thank you xxx

Fantastic, thank you i will get some of that Denes hot itch lotion, just has a peek and it's full of natural ingredients, looks really good. Will I be able to find it in shops or just online? I've tried regular bandages but he peels them off so maybe the tubular ones might stay on a bit longer, thank you xxx Dogsey is great!

The only option the silly vet gave us was an expensive buster collar, no thank you, he will be depressed all week, won't be able to sleep as comfy and our female will chew it (and he will let her, with his head still in it)! Poor boy xx

I got the Dene's lotion from a local petshop but you can get it online too & yes, it is natural ingredients so shouldn't interfere with Zeke's other medications.

With the self-adhesive pink bandages, I also use them over wound dressings for cut paws & I found they stick really well ~ even lasted for most of a muddy 2 hour walk once before it fell off

Brill, I'm hoping to get it in the next village pet shop, if not then robinsons horsey place near us, they have a dog section with a decent - ish doggy products bit. I doubt pets at home will have it. With it being the weekend it will take ages to be delivered online

The tubular bandages they should have at the chemist and I've got some of the self adhesive stuff, it is great, so sticky! Mine a sort of dark pink too, our poor boys haha!

Yes liver pate or peanut butter are my main amuninition when they are awkward about taking tablets. Kip used to be able to eat his way around anything I had put a tablet in, but with the pate its more difficult because it coats it so well.

Peanut butter is as good if the dog likes it and keeps longer than pate. I generally give it with a bit of something else as well (e.g. a small bit of bread).

And always have another tasty treat in the other hand to give directly after the tablet - if they think another bit is on its way they will often eat the first bit quicker

As for the hospital doing the tests without agreeing this with you, I do think this is out of order. But I wondered whether they thought his insurance would still cover everything? If you haven't yet, I'd definitely have a word with them to explain the situation.

I used to give Barney his Cosequin in pate as well ~ I got through loads as Wilma had to have a fingerful too every time Barney had a pill. But then I found out that you can get Cosequin in capsules so I just empty the powder onto his food & mix in ~ no more pate, poor dogs

When I've had to medicate cats (& believe me they can be a lot more slippery, difficult & sensitive about taking medication than dogs!) I used to buy fish paste, grind the pills into a powder between 2 teaspoons, mix the powder with fish paste & most cats would lick the fish paste off my finger. So if Zeke's pills are crushable, this may be an option?

Did the vet confirm that it was ok to do that with the capsules? I have always understood that it can be dangerous to do so because with in some cases (not all) the drugs are in capsules so that they will release slowly whereas if you break open the capsule and mix it with food, the dog gets the full amount all at once.