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Hi, I have 2 8 yr old healthy mini-schnauzers. In October they started a BARF or raw diet which is 77% protein and 23% fruit and vegetable and have had no issues. My Mom mentioned the raw food diet to her Vet and he said high protein is symptomatic of causing potential liver issues. I've read your prior answers that this breed does not need more 30% but I think that was directed to kibble based food. Any data or info that you can provide would be great, I am concerned that I may be doing more harm than good and Mom's vet said to switch them to Science Diet.
The avegage healthy adult dog does not even need 30% protein in the diet but can be ok with it hence people most people the more protein - the better due to strong marketing efforts and dollars. That estimate is irregardless of the type of food fed. Your recipe is unlikely to be "77% protein" but more likely to be "77% meat" - meat is not 100% protein - it could be ~50% protien though and that is most definitely not necessary, in fact, is unsustainable.

I have been feeding the DIY recipes from justfoodfordogs.com for a while now but am not certain about their nutritional value as the amount of carbohydrates is fairly high.
What percentage of carbohydrates should the dog be fed on a daily basis to reach a properly balanced diet?
Thank you
Healthy dogs do very well with 50-60% digestible carbs in the diet.

My 5 month old female Bernese Mountain Dog was just diagnosed with Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy. There is some research that shows that diet may contribute to this because of high protein diets. My vet suggested taking my dog off large breed puppy food and switching to large breed dog. Is there a good food to switch to? Could I keep her on puppy food and introduce other supplemental food? Do you recommend any low calorie treats?
Dietary protein is not part of that problem ..... that controversy was put to rest 10-15 yrs ago after a series of very good research studies.

I would NOT change to a large breed adult dog food, b/c the actual intake of calcium will most likely increase in doing so. I would suggest getting professional nutrition advice from an ACVN boarded diplomate in your area (www.acvn.org) after they have reviewed your case and/or dog.

I have two dogs that are eating Natural Balance Vegetarian dry dog food. Is this food all encompassing in terms of their nutrition? Or do I need to supplement with anything?

Both my dogs are between 70-80 lbs.
You can answer this nutrition questions yourself by simply reading the product label.

Either the label says: 'for intermittent or supplemental feeding' OR it will say 'nutritionally complete and balanced for adult dogs'.

I have been feeding my French Bulldog K9 Cravings Frozen Raw Duck patties for a few years now. Recently, a new vet of mine said she is not a fan of raw diets for 2 reasons: concern over salmonella and insuring nutrional value. K9 Cravings and the pet store I purchase it from have said K9 Cravings is AAFCO certified and provides a complete and balanced diet but of course I feel they may be biased. How can I be sure my dog is getting all of the nutrients she needs?
AAFCO does not certify any foods, so whoever said that clearly does not understand AAFCO's place in the pet food market.

You can answer this nutrition questions yourself by simply reading the product label.

Either the label says: for intermittent or supplemental feeding OR it will say nutritionally complete and balanced for adult dogs.

What the pet store clerk, vet or web site says is irrelevant.... what does it say on the product label?

What is the best food to give miniature schnauzer? I give her Blue Buffalo
Each dog is different and in order to make food recommendations, I would have to know much more about your dog.
Please consider a nutrition consult with us if you have concerns. You may begin at: https://www.petdiets.com/Consultation/Owner at any time.

What kind of fruits can dogs have
There are some limitations. The list of ones not to feed is shorter than the list of ones that can be fed.
Please see www.aspca.org animal poison control site for fruit and other foods not to be fed to dogs.

I had 3 diets made for our dogs, our shihtzu's skin get itchy and red when we give him the Chef's Canine Complete supplement. I am worried that he is not getting a complete nutrient profile without it, he is eating. Can you give us some options based on the diet you created?
Food allergies can only occur to a food protein, not a fat, carb, vitamin or mineral.

The only protein in the Chef's Canine Complete is about 5% chickpea which is a novel protein source for the majority of dogs so it is unlikely to be the cause of the skin issue.

It is necessary to feed a novel diet for 12 weeks exclusively in order to diagnosis a skin related food allergy.

Additionally you purchased turkey based diets but turkey is not usually a novel protein source. Yes we can make other suggestions.

If you are seeing rapid changes in the skin day to day changes, then mostly the dog has atopy and not a food allergy.

If you want some help with this, please consider a nutrition consultation with us.

I have just recently adopted a rescue cocker spaniel. He is about 7 to 8 years old and tests show that he has poor kidney function. He doesn't appear sick to me. When we first got him he was drinking a lot of water and peeing more than my two senior dogs. Now that he has been with me and has had access to fresh drinking water and has been eating proper food, he doesn't drink or pee any more than my other dogs. He loves going on walks, is very energetic and alert. He has occasional fluid therapy at my Vets and and he is now on Hill's Prescription k/d kibble and canned food. Is this the best food out there for him and should he be on supplements as well? (Also, I still feed him treats because what the heck - you only live once)!
Yes this food has been shown in clinical trial in dogs with naturally occurring renal disease to extend thier lives by many months compared with renal dogs not feed a renal diet.
No supplements needed this diet is specifically designed for dogs with renal disease including nutrients thought to be helpful.

Is it safe for a dog to remain on Hill's prescription cd dog food for life?
You can call the Hill's 800 number yourself but yes the product carries the following statement:

Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Prescription Diet® c/d® Multicare Canine pet
foods provide complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs.