THE IAMS™ BRAND HELPS PET PARENTS KEEP THEIR PETS' HEALTH TOP-OF-MIND THIS BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON

As kids go back to school and routines change, so too do routines for their dogs and cats

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Aug. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As summer winds down and kids head back to school, many families experience a dramatic shift in their daily routines. For some pets, this sudden change in routine can impact their overall wellbeing. A recent survey¹ by the IAMS™ brand unveiled that 73% of pet parents see at least one form of unfavorable behavior in their pets when their kids go back to school, and more than one in three pet parents say their pet gains weight when the school year starts.

Just in time for National Back to School Prep Day, the IAMS brand, proudly part of the Mars family of brands, shares expert tips and tricks for making sure the changes in back-to-school routines don't derail a pet's overall health and wellness. At a time when the focus is on getting kids back to school, it can be easy to forget that this has the potential to abruptly shift a pet's routine that can cause unintended health and/or behavioral issues. Surprisingly, more than one in three pet parents¹ don't think about preparing their pets for the change in routine when school is back in session.

"The back-to-school season is an adjustment period for the whole family, including our pets," said Fawad Farrukh, Vice President of IAMS Brand Marketing for Mars Petcare North America. "Because IAMS is on a mission to go further to keep pets healthy for life, we want to equip pet parents to smooth this transition time for their pets."

The IAMS brand partnered with Dr. Laura Robinson, DVM, and pet behavior consultant for Mars Petcare, Jessa Paschke, to understand what key actions pet parents can take to help ease the transition from summer to school season that can help keep your pet's health and well-being in check, including:

• Map out a new routine and stay consistent with enforcing new habits each day throughout the transition, and throughout the school year.
• If leaving your pet alone for longer periods of time, start off slowly. This builds confidence in your pet and helps keep them at ease with this change.
• Harness the power of distraction – give them a special treat or toy that they love (and keeps their brain stimulated) ONLY when leaving them alone.
• Ensure their energy needs are being met. Consider waking up early or taking them for evening walks to help avoid stress. Doggy day care or dog walkers are good options as well.
• Avoid overfeeding – if your pet is getting less playtime or exercise when the kids are away, consider checking feeding guidelines on their food or decreasing their caloric intake so they don't gain weight.
• Use a WHISTLE™ smart device to track your dog's activity levels, behavior and food/water intake when you're not at home to use data-driven insights to uncover habits you might not notice.
• Use PETconnect by IAMS™, a free wellness and nutritional chat service available on IAMS.com to get real-time answers from a Licensed Vet Technician or a Nutrition Advisor. This service is available to answer pet questions, provide advice and support during pet parents anytime.

To learn more about how the IAMS brand is helping calm the back-to-school blues for your pets, please visit IAMS.com/backtoschool, or following the IAMS brand on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.  

About the IAMS™ Brand
The IAMS™ brand is dedicated to helping dogs and cats live happy, healthy lives and believes high-quality nutrition truly makes a difference. IAMS is driven to create pet-specific nutritional solutions that are tailored across every life-stage, pet size and health need. Through years observing the behavior of dogs and cats, combined with research and dietary findings, the IAMS brand believes that the right diet can help pets support immunity, maintain muscle, and promote healthy digestion. IAMS products are made with high-quality ingredients and unique recipes that give your pet our best nutrition possible. When you choose IAMS dog or cat food, you're choosing high-quality food that will help you see visible differences in your furry friend. For more information, visit IAMS.com.

About PETconnect by IAMS™
The IAMS™ brand, proudly part of the Mars family of brands, is launching PETconnect by IAMS™ service, to help provide pet parents with general nutrition and wellness advice and information about their cat or dog by connecting them with a Licensed Vet Technician or a Nutrition Advisor in real time. The free, innovative digital service provides pet parents live access to expert nutrition and wellness advice and recommendations. Users can learn more about their pet's nutrition needs, such as when and how much to feed them, life stage behaviors as their pet grows, their general well-being and more, all of which is available immediately at their fingertips through the service, completely free with no login required. For more information, go to IAMS.com and click the PETconnect chat bubble in the bottom right corner.

About Mars Petcare
Part of Mars, Incorporated, a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love, the 85,000 Associates across 50+ countries in Mars Petcare are dedicated to one purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™. With 85 years of experience, our portfolio of almost 50 brands serves the health and nutrition needs of the world's pets – including brands PEDIGREE^®, WHISKAS^®, ROYAL CANIN^®, NUTRO™, GREENIES™, SHEBA^®, CESAR^®, IAMS™ and EUKANUBA™ as well as the WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute which has advanced research in the nutrition and health of pets for over 50 years. Mars Petcare is also a leading veterinary health provider through an international network of over 2,000 pet hospitals and diagnostic services including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™, Linnaeus, AniCura and Antech. We're also active in innovation and technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL™ genetic health screening and DNA testing for dogs, the WHISTLE™ GPS dog tracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO accelerator and COMPANION FUND™ programs that drive innovation and disruption in the pet care industry. As a family business and guided by our principles, we are privileged with the flexibility to fight for what we believe in – and we choose to fight for our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.

About Mars, Incorporated
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us.

Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food and petcare products and services, we employ 130,000+ dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including DOVE^®, EXTRA^®, M&M's^®, MILKY WAY^®, SNICKERS^®, TWIX^®, ORBIT^®, PEDIGREE^®, ROYAL CANIN^®, SKITTLES^®, BEN'S ORIGINAL™, WHISKAS^®, COCOAVIA^® and 5™; and take care of half of the world's pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses, including AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl^™, Linnaeus and VCA™.

SOURCE The IAMS™ Brand