Grain-free treats for Irish Setters with ear infections

Recurring ear infections in a setter that correlate with diet are a real pattern — grain and high-carb ingredients can drive yeast overgrowth, and if your current treats are loaded with cereals or fillers, they're likely making things worse. The best treats are high in protein, low in additives, and sized right for the dog — and honestly, most popular brands are nutritionally poor despite the marketing. Single-ingredient options like dried meat or fish skin are usually the safest bet. To point you to the right thing: is your setter on any restricted diet already, roughly how big is he or she now, and what are the treats mainly for — training, rewards, or just the odd thing to keep them occupied?

Got it — so a medium-large setter, grain-free protocol, treats used as casual daily rewards rather than high-volume training. That actually makes your job easier because you don't need tiny training nibbles, you need something she'll enjoy that doesn't undo the dietary work you're doing. What treats have you been giving her up to now, and have you noticed any particular ones that seem to follow flare-ups more than others?

Bonio and most soft supermarket chews are exactly what to move away from — both are wheat-heavy, and soft chews almost always contain sugars and preservatives that feed yeast. At three to four treats a day, it adds up. For a 28kg setter on a grain-free plan, I'd go with Icelandic+ Cod Skin Treats. They're single-ingredient — just dried Icelandic cod skin — no grain, no additives, naturally high in omega-3 which actively supports skin and ear health, and they're firm enough to give a dog her size something to actually chew. They're available on Amazon UK and they're genuinely one of the cleanest options you'll find. The omega-3 content is a real bonus here given the inflammation link to her ear issues — it's not just about removing the bad, it's adding something that works in the other direction.

They do have a mild fish smell — it's noticeable but not overwhelming the way cheaper dried fish treats can be. Nothing like sprats or whitebait, which are the real offenders on that front. Most people find them manageable indoors. If she's already keen on fishy treats, she'll almost certainly take to them immediately, which also makes them useful as a reliable reward. Keep them in a sealed container and you'll barely notice.

Really glad it helps. The dietary connection to ear infections is under-discussed and a lot of owners don't make the link until it's been going on for a while. Swapping those treats out is a small change that could make a meaningful difference over the next few weeks. If her ears do settle down, it's worth keeping an eye on the rest of her diet for any other grain sources that might have slipped through — but the treats are a good place to start.