Frequently Asked Questions
We offer you to 2 additional control weight check-ins during the program: after month 3 (mid-program) and after 6 months (end of the program) into the program. You will receive an e-mail reminder to schedule an appointment or to come by the clinic
Control weight check-ins are conducted in person at the assigned clinic. Just come by your vet or call to arrange an appointment.
Once you sign up for the FitFido program, you will gain access to the Weight Management Hub. This content hub was developed in cooperation with Royal Canin and ManyPets, and it comprises a variety of educational articles covering healthy weight management, exercise, and nutrition. It contains everything you need to know to set your pup up for a healthy life!
We developed 6 interactive video modules covering the following topics:
Module 1: Pet Obesity Facts. The impact of neutering and other factors
Module 2: How to assess your pets weight/ BCS
Module 3: Maintaining healthy weight
Module 4: What if my dog gained too much weight? Food that might be used to help
Module 5: Exercise: Healthy Dog Workout Tips
Module 6: The ultimate guide to neutering dogs
Any customer of our participating clinics who owns a puppy that is either about to undergo or has recently undergone a neutering procedure there. Your puppy should be a maximum of 12 months old at the time of program enrollment. Participation is free of charge.
We are delighted to welcome everyone to our program! We offer two options for you:
1. If your puppy is not yet neutered, you can check the list of participating clinics, select a nearby clinic, and call the staff to arrange your intake appointment. The program is offered free of charge to everyone once a puppy is neutered.
2. You can still participate if your puppy was neutered at a different clinic. Please contact one of the participating clinics within 1-2 weeks of the procedure, and our clinical staff will be happy to assist you
No, just weight your pup on a bi-weekly basis and enter their weight in the Growth Chart in your account.
FitFido is a pilot program led by Linnaeus Veterinary Practices and developed in partnership with Waltham Petcare Institute, Mars Petcare, Royal Canin and ManyPets, who share a vision of creating A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.
If your vet recommended this program to you, that means your pup is about to go or has just gone through neutering - and keeping track of their weight is now more important than ever! More than half of pets in the UK are estimated to be over their ideal body weight, and this alarming trend affects both a pets’ lifespan and quality of life.
Neutering, in particular, has been identified as a potential cause of weight gain early on in a pets’ life because it goes hand in hand with a change in your pup’s energy and nutritional needs.
That is why we developed FitFido - a 6-month program to provide pet parents with an access to a wealth of interactive tools, expert resources, tips and hints to help you monitor your dog's weight and prevent obesity after neutering. We’ll also help you understand why overweight dogs can struggle, and some easy things you can do to keep your pup at an ideal weight.
You will be asked to track your pup's growth and weight via our interactive Growth Chart, and log in their weight values on a bi-weekly basis for 6 months. To make sure you stay on track, your vet will also have access to this.
We also invite you to come to your assigned vet practice for a control weight check-in after 3 and 6 months into the program. Our clinical staff will be happy to control your pup's weight and answer any questions you might have. Everything to set your pup up for a healthy life!
Participation in the programme is free of charge and is very simple. Just set up a free profile on the FitFido website, select your regular vet practice, and get access to the program.
By signing up to the program, we know your dog’s health is important to you. And, by taking part you’ll not only keep track of your pet’s weight, but you’ll be helping other owners and their pets to prevent weight-related issues in the future.
Do not hesitate to contact us! We are always happy to hear your feedback and improve our service.
No, participation is completely free. However, you need to be a customer of one of the Linnaeus participating clinics, and your puppy must be undergoing the neutering procedure and be a maximum of 12 months old at the time of program enrollment.
Founded in 2014, Linnaeus has grown to become one of the most highly-respected veterinary groups in the UK and Ireland offering specialist referral services as well as primary care across our family of practices.The future of veterinary medicine is at the heart of everything they do and this is demonstrated through investment in their teams, facilities, equipment and continual professional development of clinical and non-clinical Associates.
Through their flexible and supportive culture, teams can focus on delivering outstanding quality care and contributing towards our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.
Find more information here: https://www.linnaeusgroup.co.uk/
We love pets, which is why we’re on a mission to make the world a better place for pets and their parents. We’ve helped keep half a million pets healthy and happy since 2017, and there are many reasons thousands of pet parents are joining us every day. Over the past few years we’ve won awards for our customer service and our product continues to lead the pack. We offer pet insurance policies with a range of pet health benefits that are designed to meet the needs of pets and pet parents. Love every moment. Love ManyPets.
FitFido is a pilot program. In the veterinary world, we call this a "study". Our scientists would like to track the development of your pup's growth and use this data to improve our program and products, e.g. Growth Chart, to make sure that more pet parents are aware of the obesity problem and get access to the right resources to prevent it. Our purpose is to create A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. Please note that all your personal and pet's data is securely protected. Please read our privacy policy and Terms & Consitions here.
No worries! Just come by your vet practice and our staff will be happy to assist and weigh your dog! Just don't forget to enter the values in the Growth Chart.
If you encounter any technical difficulties of have any questions, please use "Contact us" form. We will provide assistance as soon as we can.
We created a special guide "How to measure your dog's weight" that can be found in the Weight Management Hub or in the materials in your account. If your pup is already too big to weight him at home, no worries! Just come by your clinic and our staff will be happy to assist.
Created by a group of experts including veterinarians, statisticians, and nutrition scientists, WALTHAM™ Puppy Growth Charts can help pet owners and veterinary professionals monitor dogs’ growth. It is an interactive tool by using which, you can compare your puppy’s weight and growth to the weight of other healthy puppies of a similar size and at the same age. This allows you to track if they’re following a healthy growth pattern or spot any unusual growth so you can reach out to your veterinarian before it becomes an issue.
The charts are based on data from 50,000 healthy young dogs and are intended to be a standard for healthy growth. They have been scientifically developed in a similar manner to charts that healthcare professionals around the world use to monitor the growth of children (e.g. the WHO growth standards).