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My dog is overweight, eating paper. How can I help her lose weight?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 11 years and 3 months old | 64.4 lbs

My dog appears to be extremely overweight, I've tried exercising her and putting her on a diet, but she's eating toilet paper and paper towels, so she isn't losing much weight. I'm not sure if there's another fix to this problem?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

Veterinarian

Published on July 11th, 2017

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I understand your frustration! Trying to get pets to lose weight is hard! There are metabolic changes that can occur when dogs age that can predispose them to weight gain. The most common is hypothyroidism ( low thyroid). Dogs can exhibit heat seeking behavior, act more lazy, have skin issues and gain weight with a low thyroid. If you are struggling with her weight you can have your Veterinarian test her thyroid. At home, I'd try to eliminate as many treats as possible especially things like rawhides, which contain a ton of calories. Limit or eliminate table food. Try to slowly cut back the amount of dog food you feed her by 25% and replace the missing volume with green beans. Try to increase activity. As for eating paper towels and toilet paper-some dogs just have a desire to tear it up and eat it. I don't think it's contributing to her weight gain. Just be careful about how much paper she eats it could cause GI upset or an obstruction. I wish you and Aysha the best of luck!

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi, sometimes older dogs needs arthritis medication before they can be exercised. I recommend taking her to a vet to see if she has arthritis can can be put on medication for it. Then, she can be exercised more. As for the diet, there is an excellent prescription diet called the Hill's metabolic diet that makes them lose weight quickly while not feeling hungry. This can be gotten from your vet as well. As for treat, you can feed her baby carrots and ice cubes. Also, a small piece of kibble as a reward is good. If she still needs to be occupied, you can purchase a large rubber Kong toy and fill it with some light canned dog food. This will stimulater her mentally so she is not looking for other things to eat. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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