Overweight labrador retreiver

Question
Hello, Me again with the three dogs lab/JRT and BT. My lab is 82 pounds and 22 1/2 inches at the shoulder she is overweight she was 71 pounds early last year and the perfect weight.....she is three years old this december 23ard and spayed. I do walk my dogs daily like I mentioned in an earlier question and have started taking her alone for a longer walk each morning and the others on a short walk so they dont freze there feet. I have all three on a lite formula non by product adult food its got 7-11 % fat in it, I was wondering about this food: http://www.dogchow.com/Products/Detail.aspx?intProductID=15    

I would like to try feeding it to the labrador retreiver *Only maybe mixed with soft food of simaler fat amounts to get her to eat it....this food has less fat and is easily avalible. I was wondering is this food bad or too cheap? will it harm her in any way? and around how ong do yout hink it'd take to get 5/6 pounds off her so we can see her waist again? Thank you for your time.

Answer
Many dog experts would be aghast at feeding an ordinary dog chow, and Purina at that.  Frankly I think the main reason the dog guide school I raise puppies for abandoned Purina for Pro Plan is the smaller, firmer stools that are easier to cleanup.  Can you imagine cleaning up after your Lab in public if you couldn't see, and couldn't look around and find a trash can or dumpster?  Yes you will have to feed more.  Do you think your Lab will see having to eat more as a problem?  Most Labs will eat more than is good for them and look for more.  I would be surprised if you need to add something to get her to eat enough of it.  It would be an atypical Lab to need to feed a concentrated chow, otherwise, go for it.  Make the change over over a week.  As she develops a waist, see http://www.puppychow.com/products/popup_body_condition.aspx  My son is feeding my granddog Purina.  He remembers that as what we feed dogs when he was at home.

I wouldn't rush the job.  If it takes a couple of months, OK.  My Holly came to me at 7 weeks and a butter ball in late September.  She still doesn't have quite as much tuck up behind the ribs as she should, but is getting there.