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I have a 4.5 yr old Rott/Pitt/Sharpei mix named Batista. He is weighs 105 pounds. He recently began suffering from what the vet thinks "could possibly be" food allergies. We had him tested for a possible fungal infection but the results were negative, Our dog had developed large round sores that resembled ring worm, his ears were red and raw and his lower lips were also chapped and bleeding. This quickly turned into a staph infection. We have tried several over the counter dog foods. We were told to stay away from pet foods that contained anything he had previously been ingesting on a regular basis. I have found a Rachel ray dog food called 'Just 6 Lamb meal & Brown Rice recipe'. Is this food nutritionally sound? Is there a better commercial dog food or homemade food recipe I should use? My vet seems to have very limited knowledge on the subject.
I would not suggest feeding lamb. I doubt Rachel has had any canine nutritional training .... Yes there are many very good options but I would first have to know what the dog has previously eaten and whether you want a homemade diet or commercial product. We are most willing to make appropriate nutritional recommendations or formulate a HM diet for your possbile food allergic dog. You may begin the consultation process yourself online at any time with us.

I am considering a raw diet for my American Bulldog puppy. He is 6 weeks old. What is a good raw diet for such a young puppy? Also, are there special dietary considerations for a large breed puppy? I've read that there could be problems with bone structure and growth rate with these dogs.
Yes there is a risk of development bone disease. You should feed a diet specifically formulated for obese prone large breed dogs. I do not know of any "raw" diet that fits that description, and do not recommend feeding raw given there is no nutritional advantages to doing so however, there is always the risk of food poisoning not only to the pup but you and other household members.

Our nearly 11 year old male Golden Retriever , Aspen, was just diagnosed with bone cancer, osteosarcoma, severe enough that our vet is afraid he may fracture his leg if not careful. Is there a diet that will help with his pain and keep him around longer? Our vet indicated high protein and low carb… is that true?
There is no diet or nutrient combinations specific for that cancer. Yes you can feed in general a lower carb, higher fat diet if the dog can tolerate the higher fat. But there is NO data on diet and ostersarcoma available.

Can you add olive oil to a dog's food safely?
For most healthy dogs, yes olive oil is well tolerated by most dogs. There are expeptions to that rule if your dog has certain medical conditions.

Earlier today I purchased a diet for my pet Rooney-Chicken with pasta and vegetables. I only reviewed the diet. Now I need to print it. How?
Certainly, at any time you could log into your account, go to "view orders", open the link for the diet recommendation and then print from your computer. Please let me know if you still have problems getting a printed copy.

I have a 9-1/2 year old miniature schnauzer who has had two surgeries to remove ca ox stones. She recently tested positive for crystals and a UTI. Our doctor has previously prescribed hills u/d...50/50 canned and dry. Since the recent test he also added potassium citrate tablets. We make her treats by mixing and baking the u/d food. Are there any more effective or beneficial diets or supplements we should be considering? I've read that increasing moisture content in her diet may help and have been considering fruits and vegetables for treats such as melon, banana, carrots, peas etc. I appreciate any suggestions you may have.
You need to add enough water to each meal to get the urine specific gravity under 1.020 and maintain a urine pH of greater than 6.8 to minimumize formation of the crystals in the bladder. I woulud not be feeding the dry u/d or any fruits or vegetables. You will probabaly stil have to add water when feeding the canned food. You may monitor the success of this diet and medications via immediately checking warm urine pH (> 6.8) in the first morning urine using Fisher Scientific (www1.fishersci.com) pHydrion strips (6.0-8.0) and have the urine sediment monitored for crystals by your veterinarian regularly. This stone re-occurs (18-24 months) so I would also suggest monitoring the bladder by radiographs or ultrasound every 3 to 6 months.

My 12 year old Tabby/Tiger has just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Two years ago, I transitioned him to canned food at the advice of a veterinarian. Sherm lost 3 1/2 pounds the first year and then, 4 more pounds this year. He is at a good weight but has recently reflected many behavioral changes: more anxious about eating and seemingly always hungry. I took him to another vet and he put him on Methimazole 4ml. Sherm seems healthy otherwise but did not tolerate the Methimazole and has begun a cycle of vomiting either after given the med or after eating. We took him off the med and he is better but sleeping more and eating less. The vet suggested Hill's y/d, which has no nutrition nor healthy ingredients. I have been feeding him Halo dry and canned and Blue Select canned. There must be a holistic, healthy diet to help Sherm that would be an iodine binder. Can we do a homemade diet without any salt products in it to help Sherm enjoy eating again?
Please know that you cannot estimate the quality of a pet food product by reading the ingredient list or listening to what others (non-experts) say about certain ingredients. Most people have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to pet food ingredients, hence I am suggesting you should not be influenced by those comments. I do think a food trial with y/d would be beneficial it does work as long as the cat does not have renal disease. Yes I have come close to formulating a y/d-like homemade diet on paper but have no idea if it will have the same effect as the original y/d. I am not clear on what you mean by "salt products" but every homemade diet must have supplements in order to be complete and balanced.

I have a 3-1/2 chocolate lab who is my service/mobility dog. He had gotten to 92-lbs last winter. After switching to Purina OM prescribed by a nutritionist at the Univ. of MN, I got him down to 78. They told me his optimal weight should be between 75-78. They calculated his calories at 769 per day. My question now is, I don't want to continue on the Purina OM, as I don't like the ingredients, so I need advice on what to feed him so he can maintain a healthy weight, but on a premium dog food. I also would like advice on what his caloric needs are. He currently weighs 76.6 lbs. Thank you.
So if you fed him 769 kcal/day to lose weight to an optimal of 76lbs, then my best guess would be to feed him 950 to 1000 kcal/day but weigh him every 2-4 weeks to see if that is the correct maintenance intake for him. On another note, which foods are "premium" is in the eye of the manufacturer and is not independently determined. My idea of premium may be different from yours which may be different from what any one manufacturer may think. There is no universal or regulator definition of "premium". Secondly the term premium on a bag has nothing to do with nutritional profile usually in the eye of the manufacturer - buy beware.

I was wanting to know if I can make a home made diet for my one male cat that is on kd diet, that my other 2 cats can eat also. I have read that long term use of kd is harmful to cats....
Yes all three cats can eat a feline k/d - like product. That nutrient profile is helpful to cats with renal disease but not harmful to cats with healthy kidneys because the diet is not deficient. We are most willing to make appropriate nutritional recommendations or formulate a HM diet for your cats.

I have an 8 year old male JRT with ongoing issues with CaOx crystals. He has been on Urinary SO but I am not satisified because he continues to form crystals, have blood in urine, and requent UTI's. Please help.
We are most willing to make appropriate nutritional recommendations or formulate a HM diet for your dog with calcium oxalate but please know that no diet is 100% effective against this stone. There may be other things like lowering the urine specific gravity and raising the urine pH that may also help.