If the rule of thumb with our giants is to feed less than 23% protien, how does one do that on a raw diet? If the answer is 3/4 veggies 1/4 raw meat, how does that cut down on gas? Give my guys a raw carrot and they will blow you out of the house for two days! 
Stella
To start, the common optimal protein levels you see advocated by kibble companies is on a DRY MATTER BASIS or DM - this cannot be directly compared to whole fresh raw foods, since raw meat is 60-70% water. As a result, to get an apples to apples comparison, one must calculate the DM of food. I often do this in the diet consultations I perform when folks feel they need to know how it compares, otherwise, I do not see it as relevant.
Dogs are carnivores and I have always seen them do best on high protein. As DobeDVM offered, and this is true, it is not the protein level that drives growth and orthopedic problems - it is calcium levels and overall calories. A dog grows too fast because he is consuming too many calories, and OCD and HD have been shown in several studies to be linked to excessive calcium supplementatio
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I find it frustrating that we have so many vets in america who have been out of school for so long and not maintaining continuing education. In their defense, vet school curriculum does not provide nutrition education - maybe one class - and if they have been in practice for a long time, they likely know little to nothing about nutrition except what they were told by Hills - who produces all of their text books and seminars (hence why so many vets stock Hills Prescription diets in their office).
If there is a vet saying that high protein is bad for the kidneys then shame on him. There are scores of reports and articles by medical expects in this field who have long since shown that it is not the quantity of protein, but the quality of protein. Kibble protein diets are usually removed in kidney disease - this is true, because this is not quality protein. Fresh foods and high quality protein has helped scores of Bernese Mtn. Dogs with kidney disease that I have seen - and these diets were actually higher protein than their kibble diet. The quality of protein is what most impacts how hard the kidneys have to work.
Since Bernese Mtn Dogs have fragile immune systems and weak endocrine systems, many many are raw fed (or homecooked at least) and I find more raw fed in this breed than any of my others. Berners do better on fresh foods and high quality protein as a result and I believe are great evidence for a natural diet. I have raised four dogs on a raw diet - my current Berner is 4th generation raw on both sides and has never eaten processed food. Her annual blood tests do not reveal overworked kidneys so far, and she is orthopedically sound with OFA certification. There are differences with raw fed dogs - they are often higher energy - I believe vitality is an indicator of health however and a good thing - and have greater stamina. Most raw feeders I encounter have trouble keeping weight on their dogs, because they do not realize how many calories their dogs require and underfeed calories - rather than overfeed. I think this is easy to do on a natural diet.
Please do not get me wrong - because I do not mean to imply that concerns about this diet are not valid. I do believe it is more work than pouring food out of a bag, and it requires more work to know how to balance the diet and ensure you are providing all nutrients. You CAN mess up a dog, and especially a growing puppy, if one does not know what to feed, and how much to feed it. The bacteria is not a concern in my view if good judgment and appropriate steps are taken. My dogs eat food out of a bowl every night and indoors, but they always eat their bones outside. Handling raw meat is the same whether cooking for ourselves or our dogs, so little impact there.
