Best senior dog food for Irish Setters aged 9+

Wanting to step up the food for a 9-year-old Irish Setter makes a lot of sense — large, active breeds like setters age differently to a small lap dog, and mid-range kibble that was fine at five often isn't doing enough at nine. Choosing dog food is genuinely complicated because the right answer depends on age, size, breed, and health — and the most expensive or most marketed options aren't always the best fit. To point you in the right direction: does your setter have any known health issues or sensitivities, and what are you currently feeding?

Good to know — a still-active 30kg setter at nine is actually in a really manageable position. The loose stools are worth paying attention to though. Harringtons is a decent budget food, but the protein sources and fibre profile aren't really tuned for a large senior dog with a sensitive-ish gut. Irish Setters can also be prone to bloat, so steady, digestible nutrition matters more as they age. Before I give you a firm recommendation — is he on one meal or two a day, and has the loose stool issue been recent or on and off for a while?

That pattern — chronic mild looseness that the vet isn't alarmed by — usually points to a food that's slightly off for that particular dog's digestion rather than anything sinister. For a dog like yours I'd go with Wellness CORE Senior Dry Dog Food. It's a high-protein, grain-free recipe built around turkey and chicken, with a fibre blend that genuinely helps firm things up in sensitive dogs. The calorie density is well-matched to a still-active large senior — enough to maintain condition without loading him with excess carbs that accelerate weight gain at this age. It's widely available on Amazon UK and sits in the mid-premium range, so it's a meaningful step up from Harringtons without being extravagant. Switch gradually over about ten days — mix in increasing amounts of the new food — and you should start seeing stool consistency improve within two to three weeks.

Honestly, it's a bit of both. Some senior labels are just marketing — same food, different bag. But a genuinely formulated senior recipe will have adjusted phosphorus levels to support kidney health, added joint support like glucosamine and chondroitin, and a calorie level that accounts for a slightly slower metabolism. The Wellness CORE Senior formula does all of those things properly, which is why I'm suggesting it rather than just their standard adult recipe. For a 9-year-old setter those joint and kidney considerations are actually relevant now, not something to wait on.

Just two things. First, watch his weight over the first month — Wellness CORE is more calorie-dense than Harringtons, so you may need to feed slightly less by volume than the bag suggests to keep him at a good condition score. Second, if the loose stools don't improve after three or four weeks on the new food, it's worth going back to the vet to rule out something like a low-grade intolerance or early inflammatory bowel issue — though I'd expect you to see improvement. He sounds like he's in good shape for his age; getting the food right now will make a real difference over the next few years.