Join us live as Caroline joins us to further explore her incredible work spanning the last 40 years.

Caroline has dedicated to her approach is to help animals use their innate ability to self-select remedies. In practice, an animal is offered a range of plant extracts, essential oils, clays, macerated herbs, seaweeds and similar materials, and the practitioner observes which ones the animal chooses to inhale, lick, taste or rub against, and in what quantity, on the theory that the animal selects what addresses its current need and stops when satiated.

What if animals already know how to heal themselves?

In this episode of The Dog Expert Podcast, Jo Middleton, Emily Dustan and Penny Wood are joined by Caroline Ingraham, founder of Applied Zoopharmacognosy and one of the world’s leading experts in animal self-medication. With over 35 years of experience,

Caroline’s work explores how animals instinctively select plants, oils and natural substances to support their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Together, we explore a fascinating and sometimes controversial question: what happens when we step back and allow animals more choice in their own healing? In this episode, we discuss:

• What zoopharmacognosy actually is — and how animals self-medicate in the wild

• How this knowledge is applied to domestic animals through Caroline’s work

• The role of choice, agency and observation in supporting wellbeing

• Why Caroline feels so strongly about giving animals a voice in their own care

• Where this approach fits alongside modern veterinary and behavioural practice

This conversation sits at the intersection of instinct, science, and philosophy. It invites us to consider not just what we do to dogs, but what we might learn by allowing them to guide us.

As always, we encourage listeners to stay curious, think critically, and keep the welfare of the animal at the centre of every decision.

Flat-faced breeds are among the most loved dogs in the UK, but they are also among the most vulnerable when it comes to respiratory compromise and chronic health challenges.