This is a specific conversation about Dog food allergies — identifying and fixing them — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Chronic otitis in Cocker Spaniels is one of those situations where food is often a hidden driver — and corn is a surprisingly common culprit for triggering inflammatory flares in dogs already prone to ear issues. True food allergies are actually less common than intolerances, but either way the most reliable fix is an elimination diet using a novel or hydrolysed protein source. To point you in the right direction: how long has your Cocker Spaniel been dealing with the ear infections, what does a flare typically look like for them, and have you already tried cutting corn or done any kind of elimination diet with your vet's input?
She's 5, been getting ear infections on and off for about two years. They go red, smelly, she shakes her head a lot. Vet keeps prescribing ear drops which help short term but they always come back. We noticed it seemed worse after switching to a food that had corn in it, so we think that's the link. Haven't done a proper elimination diet yet.
inparticular.ai
That pattern — drops clearing it up, then it coming back within weeks — is a classic sign that something systemic is feeding the inflammation, and the timing around the corn-containing food is a real red flag worth taking seriously. Cocker Spaniels have narrow, pendulous ear canals that trap moisture and heat, which makes them structurally prone to otitis, but food intolerances can push an already vulnerable dog from occasional issues into a chronic cycle. The good news is that a proper elimination diet often breaks that cycle. Has your vet mentioned hydrolysed protein food, or has she been tested for anything beyond the ear infections themselves?
No hydrolysed food suggested, just the drops every time. No allergy testing either. The vet said it might just be her breed. We'd like to try the diet route before going back.
inparticular.ai
Trying the diet route first is a completely sensible call, especially when you have a clear dietary trigger suspect. For a proper elimination trial you need 8–12 weeks of strict feeding — no treats, no table scraps, nothing other than the trial food — so choosing the right food matters. My recommendation for your girl is Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Hypoallergenic dry dog food. The protein in it is hydrolysed soy, broken down to a molecular size that the immune system typically can't react to, and it's completely free of corn and common allergens. It's not cheap, but it's one of the most rigorous options you can use at home without a vet prescription in the UK, and it gives you a genuinely clean baseline to work from. If her ears improve over 8 weeks on this, you have your answer — and you can reintroduce ingredients one at a time to confirm corn as the trigger.
That sounds like exactly what we need. Is there anything else we need to watch out for during the trial?
inparticular.ai
A few things that catch people out: first, check every treat and chew — even dental sticks or small training rewards can contain corn or shared allergens and will invalidate the trial. Second, if she's on any flavoured medications or supplements, flag those to your vet as they can also interfere. Third, don't panic if the first two to three weeks show no improvement — the inflammatory response in the skin and ear tissue takes time to calm down even after the trigger is removed. Keep a simple weekly log of ear smell, redness, and head shaking so you have something concrete to show your vet. And if she has a bad flare during the trial, use the drops to manage it — that won't affect the dietary result. Stick with it for the full 8 weeks before drawing any conclusions.
Really helpful, thank you. We'll order the Purina HA and start properly.
inparticular.ai
Good luck — you're doing the right thing by tackling the root cause rather than just managing the symptoms. Keep that 8-week window in mind, stay strict with it, and you should have a much clearer picture by the end. If the ears do clear up, it's worth going back to your vet with the results because they may want to do a controlled reintroduction to confirm corn specifically — that makes future food choices a lot simpler. Hope she gets some proper relief.
