an interview with caroline ingraham By Shari Emami
- Aromatika Magazine
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Pg. 76-79 - 3-minute read
I’m here today to meet and speak with Caroline Ingraham, an animal expert in aromatic medicine, whose non-conventional and inspiring start deeply resonated with me as a pet owner interested in holistic animal care. Her journey began with her German Shepherd, Gunner, who was bitten by a rattlesnake and wasn’t responding to anti-venom, yet recovered remarkably fast after taking remedies—an experience that sparked her work in Applied Zoopharmacognosy and the development of the Ingraham Method of Individualised Medicine (IMIM). Caroline is an author, lecturer, and teacher with over 40 years of experience in animal self-medication and aromatic medicine, and her work has been featured in journals and on BBC, ITV, BBC Radio 4, National Geographic TV, and at the Hay Festival. She brings together strong knowledge of ethology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacology with hands-on experience across many species, from domestic animals to kangaroos, bears, elephants, tigers, rhinos, and primates. I decided to interview her to learn more about her training, her beginnings, her inspiration, and what she hopes to contribute to the future of Applied Zoopharmacognosy for plant and animal health.
Tell me more about yourself, your background and how you got into animal self-medication, essential oils and other plant extracts?
Soon after I trained with Robert Tisserand on one of the UK's first essential-oil courses, where a personal healing experience with juniper berry transformed my understanding of plant medicine. I realised that both animals and people have an innate ability to self-medicate, and when I no longer needed juniper, its taste changed from sweet to bitter. The same pattern emerged with my father and my rescue German Shepherd, Roxy, who guided herself through scent rather than taste. These experiences led me to pioneer Applied Zoopharmacognosy and develop the Ingraham Method, uniting compassion, science, and nature. Horses became my first teachers, they were initially easier to read than dogs and I began my observational research.
Can you name some particular plants or remedies that animals seem drawn to for certain issues like pain or anxiety? What are the most common animal owners complaints for their pet?
Pain: Yarrow and German chamomile (anti inflammatory), birch, wintergreen (typically more gentle than conventional NSAD's), comfrey (leaf or infused oil for joints and ligament damage), peppermint (muscular aches and headaches). Anxiety: Violet leaf, valerian, hops – depends on the cause of the anxiety – is there an underlying problem that is making the animal feel more vulnerable and anxious?
How does your academy help vets, sanctuaries, and pet parents bring these healing techniques to life?
The Ingraham Academy offers professional training that brings this work to veterinarians, veterinary nurses, animal therapists, behaviourists, pet gradians, and sanctuary staff. Through our diploma courses, masterclasses, and discussion clinics, participants learn how to safely offer plant extracts and interpret animals' responses to them. The method is grounded in science, linking plant chemistry with physiology and behaviour, while honouring each animal's ability to guide its own recovery. In future, the diploma programme will likely be tailored specifically for veterinarians and veterinary nurses, ensuring this knowledge continues to advance within professional clinical practice worldwide.
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