Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly returns to Channel 5 tonight and Graeme Hall is getting some expert help from pet nutritionist Chloe Fuller.
But viewers may be left wondering why Chloe uses both a wheelchair and a feeding tube.
The 27-year-old joins Graeme – better known as The Dogfather – as he tackles more troublesome pooches in the Channel 5 show.
In tonight’s episode, Graeme meets a vegan couple who want to know whether their dog can safely follow a vegan diet too.
That’s where Chloe steps in with her specialist advice.
Why does Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly star Chloe Fuller use a feeding tube?
Chloe became seriously ill at the age of 13 following what initially appeared to be a minor infection.
She was later diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a condition that causes a person’s heart rate to increase rapidly when they stand up or sit upright.
Doctors later discovered Chloe’s POTS had been triggered by Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – a genetic condition which can cause chronic pain, fatigue, unstable joints and fragile skin.
As her health worsened, Chloe had to be home schooled and, by the age of 16, she required a wheelchair.
Her digestive system also began to fail due to her POTS. After spending three months in hospital, doctors decided tube feeding was the safest option.
Speaking previously to The Blend Mag, Chloe explained: “When I became tube-fed, there really was a sense of relief because I was like, I don’t have to stress anymore.
“I no longer had to worry about dying. I no longer had to worry about the pressure to eat and, suddenly, I had so much more energy than I’d had in years.”
Chloe Fuller trained her own assistance dogs
Due to her declining health, Chloe qualified for an assistance dog as a teenager.
However, after learning the waiting lists were around two years long, she decided to train one herself.
At 15, Chloe met Ted, a springer spaniel who would go on to transform her life.
Recalling their first meeting, Chloe said she collapsed while visiting the breeder – and Ted immediately sat on her chest.
“He’s been with me ever since,” she said.
In just 13 months, Chloe successfully trained Ted to become a fully qualified assistance dog through charity Dog AID.
She later trained a second assistance dog called Cinnabar.
With the help of her dogs, Chloe eventually went on to qualify as a dog nutritionist herself.
Speaking to Your Dog magazine, she explained: “I started to develop a personal understanding of just how vital those nutrients were to us physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“The ritual of eating, the community to meals, and the enrichment experience were taken from me overnight.”
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How Chloe Fuller got into television
Chloe has since built a huge online following, with nearly 80,000 Instagram followers.
She has appeared on This Morning, Steph’s Packed Lunch and at Crufts, with Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly marking her latest television role.
Remarkably, Chloe credits broadcaster Clare Balding for inspiring her TV career.
While attending Crufts in Birmingham, Chloe spotted Clare in a bar and introduced herself while accompanied by Ted.
According to Chloe, Clare encouraged her to pursue television work – advice she never forgot.
She was later scouted at Dogfest and has continued building her media career ever since.
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