← The Bobby Bones Show
The Bobby Bones Show
Lauren Akins: Motherhood, Mustang Mishaps & Her Dog Cash’s Brush with Death
00:49:30
Loading summary
Transcript343 lines
- [00:00]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.
- [00:05]
Colgate Advertiser
Colgate Total may make your favorite toothpaste, but it's also a science innovator committed to oral health. For instance, the Colgate Total Active Prevention System with a cutting edge toothbrush, refreshing antibacterial mouthwash and a reformulated toothpaste. With a technology so innovative it won the 2024 Edison Patent Award, the Colgate Total Active prevention system is 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup to fight the root cause of oral health problem in six weeks starting from week one compared to a non antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat trim toothbrush. Talk about science. Get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today so you can be dentist ready. Shop now by visiting shop.colgate.com total.
- [00:50]
Talkspace Advertiser
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, is telling everyone let's face it in therapy by talking or texting with a supportive licensed therapist at Talkspace, you you can face whatever is holding you back. Whether it's mental health symptoms, relationship drama, past trauma, bad habits or another challenge that you need support to work through, it's easy to sign up. Just go to talkspace.com and you'll be paired with a provider, typically within 48 hours. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule. Plus, Talkspace is in network with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. Make your mental health a priority and start today. If you're not covered by insurance, get $80 off your first month with Talkspace when you go to talkspace.com and enter promo code SPACE80. That's S P A CE80 to match with a licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com and Enter promo code SPACE80.
- [01:51]
Dan Flores
Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region.
- [02:12]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Today, listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:29]
Dr. Josie Horczak
You're listening to in the vet's office with Dr. Josie Horczak.
- [02:37]
Lauren Akins
All right, you guys, welcome back to in the Vets Office. I AM your host, Dr. Josie and this is a very exciting week Because I have brought in the vet's office to one of my clients homes. You may know her as a New York Times best selling author, a philanthropist. She's a mom of four beautiful girls, and she is married to a country music superstar. But the reason she's here today is because she is a dog mom. That's Lauren Akins. Welcome to in the vet's office.
- [03:07]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. And thanks for coming to hang with us at our house.
- [03:11]
Lauren Akins
I know we get to sit in your living room and.
- [03:13]
Dr. Josie Horczak
So nice.
- [03:13]
Lauren Akins
We've got your puppies, Kona and Cash here. I say you're a dog mom, but you're really a cat, dog and horse mom.
- [03:19]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I am.
- [03:20]
Lauren Akins
Anything else besides animals? Those three, I mean, that's a lot right now.
- [03:23]
Dr. Josie Horczak
No, that's where we're at. And it's great. Never a dull moment as Kona tripping over all the things.
- [03:30]
Lauren Akins
That's. If you hear panting, hopefully everybody can still hear us in the background. That is the dogs. When I was introducing you, it made me think that I didn't know your last name was Akins. Do people tell you that a lot? I thought it was Rhett.
- [03:43]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yes, everyone does for good reason. Because that's his stage name. And so I think people assume. Assume our last name is Rhett.
- [03:52]
Lauren Akins
Is that his middle name?
- [03:53]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I get it. Yeah. It's kind of like that Southern.
- [03:57]
Lauren Akins
A lot of people, I feel like two names.
- [03:59]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Huh. In the south have the double.
- [04:00]
Lauren Akins
Girls have two names.
- [04:01]
Dr. Josie Horczak
My older two have double names. And then it got to be so many double names that we had to stop the double names because it was Thomas, Rat, Willa Gray, Ada, James. And so I was like, we're not gonna go. The last two. We're not gonna do double names. But I named them both L names. And I'm an L name, so I didn't even mean to do that necessarily. But it's either all three double names and the other L's L names. And so I can't ever get the right name out. You know, it's a lot of names.
- [04:30]
Lauren Akins
Like the. It's like a tongue twister.
- [04:32]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yes, it is.
- [04:33]
Lauren Akins
Peter Piper picked up. Yeah.
- [04:35]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Exactly where we're at.
- [04:36]
Lauren Akins
Okay.
- [04:36]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Every day. And then you add the dogs and the horses and the cats. I'm like, I don't ever know who I'm talking to.
- [04:41]
Lauren Akins
Do the dogs have middle names?
- [04:44]
Dr. Josie Horczak
No.
- [04:44]
Lauren Akins
That's probably for the best. But keep it a little. Like something in your life needs to be simple.
- [04:48]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Trying to simplify just A little bit.
- [04:50]
Lauren Akins
How do you balance all of these creatures and then your family and being a wife and a mom? How. How do you do that?
- [04:58]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Honestly? Probably not super well. Our life in house is pretty chaotic. I think that's to be expected, probably with four little ones running around, for sure. But we have learned to operate pretty well. I feel like, in the chaos, and I feel like that's my normal now. So if it gets too quiet, I'm like, what. What do I do? How do we do this? I think a lot of people look at us and they're like, how are you managing all this? But I think truly, you just kind of figure out whatever becomes your new normal. You just make over time. Yeah, it becomes your new normal. And I'm like, well, four kids is normal, and a traveling husband is normal. We definitely have really hard weeks and really hard moments, but everybody does. And I do think, honestly, having the animals in my life, for me, they are like a place of peace. And for my girls, too. 100. Yeah, it's. It's sweet. It's. It's chaos, but it's my chaos, and I really love it.
- [06:07]
Lauren Akins
That's good. You thrive in chaos. I love that too. It is funny, though, you say that, like, I feel like when I'm having a really bad day or a stressful week, like, just sitting down with my dogs at night and petting them, I'm like, ah. Like, I can relax. Yeah, they really. I mean, they are therapy.
- [06:21]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Our lab. He is like my. Well, okay. I actually think I am his security blanket. Actually, I know that I am, but he kind of is that for me. But he just, you know, I think a lot of people are like, my dog knows if I'm having a hard day. And also our horses, like, you know, there's like, the equine therapy and there's a reason behind, like, the animal therapies and the things like that, but cash specifically, I mean, he's like my shadow in the house. But like, when, for instance, when I was pregnant with all three of my pregnancies, he. When it got, like, really close to the due date and when things were, you know, kind of moving a little bit here and there, and we're like, oh, or is it happening? Is it not? He followed me everywhere in the house. If I would get up in the middle of the night, he would be right by my side. When I was laboring at home, he was, I mean, right under my feet. And he wasn't. He was like, just a very peaceful.
- [07:26]
Lauren Akins
Just like, hey, just Like, I got you.
- [07:27]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I'm right here. I'm not going to leave. And he's always been that for me. And he is. I don't want to say high maintenance, but he always gets into mischief. I feel like.
- [07:38]
Lauren Akins
I feel like Silver Labs. I mean, labs in general are a little, like, they can be naughty, but Silver Labs.
- [07:43]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Okay, well, I didn't know that.
- [07:44]
Lauren Akins
Hey, definitely.
- [07:45]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I didn't know that. But that is definitely who he is, a lot of it. And Thomas Rhett really drives him crazy. So our hound, Kona, she. She really loves.
- [07:59]
Lauren Akins
I was wondering, okay.
- [08:01]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And always has, and she's a total diva. Cash, like, is right on my hip when I come. He's my little buddy, so I'm like, you know, he's. He's annoying to you, but he's really special to me.
- [08:14]
Lauren Akins
Like, this is my son.
- [08:16]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah, right. Like, don't touch him.
- [08:17]
Lauren Akins
When I come to the house to take care of the dogs, it's funny because their personalities, like, could not be more different. Cash runs out. His tail's wagging. He's like, hey, come on in. Let me show you around. And Kona's in the kitchen. Like, who are you? You're so awful. Who invited you to this home?
- [08:33]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Come close to me. Yeah, that's very much who they are. That's great.
- [08:37]
Lauren Akins
There's also a video going around right now of, like, a woman our age looking at her two dogs, and it's like, the boy dogs. Like, mom, I love you. You're so beautiful. And it goes to the girl dog, and it's like, you're fat. Like, this is literally exactly how it is.
- [08:52]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Perfect.
- [08:53]
Lauren Akins
It is.
- [08:54]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Oh, but it's so fun. I mean, they. They have their. They have their different moments, too, you know, Kona, even with my kids, I think one of them is a little. Is the favorite at times with the kids. They have their personalities. It goes well, but for the most part, how do they do with the kids?
- [09:10]
Lauren Akins
Like, are they pretty chill?
- [09:12]
Dr. Josie Horczak
They're great. So Kona actually. Well, they're amazing with our family, our friends, our kids. They are not great with strangers. And. And Kona actually was that way when she was younger. She had kind of a traumatic experience when she was young, and I think it really shifted. I don't know, just. Just how. She definitely is more on the defensive side of things.
- [09:39]
Lauren Akins
I mean, if you think about humans, like, when we have trauma at younger ages, it kind of shapes who we are, and it can do that, right? Animals.
- [09:46]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And so she's. She's gonna be 13 this year. Yeah, she's gonna be 13. And I. So we had our. Our oldest came home. We adopted her from Uganda, and she came home in May, nine years ago, eight years ago. I needed to get that math right in 2017. Math is hard. Where are we? I'm not sure to go. And so she was, you know, not a puppy, so that wasn't necessarily a concern. But I also was just like, you know, I think everyone's greatest fear is, like, how are my dogs gonna interact with the kids? Like, I hope that they love each other and that they're. And she's always. She's always been. She is kind of. She's protective, but she's really protective, like, for them.
- [10:42]
Lauren Akins
That's sweet.
- [10:42]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And so. Yeah, that's really sweet. But now that she's older, she doesn't move as fast. She's kind of passed it off to Cash, and bless him. I think that's not his strong suit. But I do think that she has passed something to him, because I think he knows I need to, like, stand up and be a little bit more assertive as a guard dog. And he just doesn't have the natural cues, I think. Like, she doesn't. So sometimes he's barking. I'm like, buddy, that's the wrong person to bark at. We're not going to bark at that.
- [11:12]
Lauren Akins
Person, because she's definitely the brains. It's like Pinky in the brain.
- [11:16]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Smart. Yeah, that's exactly. Yeah, she's the brain.
- [11:18]
Lauren Akins
Is he the one that committed the crime?
- [11:23]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. Okay, so he doesn't. He's. He doesn't love strange men in hats with sunglasses. Is like a. It's a double whammy.
- [11:32]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [11:32]
Dr. Josie Horczak
You're a big. No.
- [11:33]
Lauren Akins
Immediate no.
- [11:35]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And then delivery men, specifically, for whatever reason, I feel like a lot of dogs probably have that. Yeah, it is different in cash. But if you're here, like, sitting here with him, and when you come in, and, I mean, he's just a big, giant, squishy bear. I mean, you're just like, oh, you just. He's just so mushy.
- [11:56]
Lauren Akins
What happened? You said Kona had something bad happen when she was little. What was that?
- [12:01]
Dr. Josie Horczak
She, like, at the. When. Like, her little traumatic experience. We were at a dog park, and, you know, it's our first dog, and I'm like, I'm gonna take her to the dog park. She's this little puppy, and I have no. To this day, I don't know what triggered it. I don't know. I didn't even get to talk to the other owner, because they bolted as soon as it happened. We were at a dog park, and the. We were. It was kind of a hilly dog park, so there was this rock wall, and we were up on the top on this, like, grassy spot on top of the rock wall. And it was a pretty good drop down to pavement. And she was just kind of, you know, running around looking kind of, like, checking everybody out. And this giant dog out of nowhere, I mean, beelines it for Kona and tackled her, rolled her, was coming for her, and hit her so hard that she went off the wall and landed on the pavement. And that was awful. Really sad. It really hurt her. She was obviously traumatized. And from that day on, she, like, would not let other dogs get close to her.
- [13:13]
Lauren Akins
Yeah, she's like.
- [13:14]
Dr. Josie Horczak
So it kind of started there, and then same. Same kind of thing. If she doesn't know the person, she's always real. Like, I don't know. I'm, like, very skeptical. Yeah. It takes a lot for her to.
- [13:29]
Lauren Akins
Trust somebody of her, I would say, like, they're kind of. Does she try and herd anything? Like, will she heard the kids? Or, like, maybe.
- [13:37]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Maybe. I mean, when we run around the house, she kind of will do this thing where she'll kind of grab at my clothes to try to slow me down. Yeah, she kind of, like, wags her tail and plays, but then she's kind of like, also, no, no, slow down, slow down. And then we slow down. She's like, okay, okay, well, no, no. Where are you going? And then she doesn't do anymore because she can't move as fast. But she used to, and the kids loved it. They would be like, how fast can Kona try to get us all back together now?
- [14:01]
Lauren Akins
She's like 105 with a walker. Yeah, I'm gonna get you.
- [14:04]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah, that's right. That's exactly right. And then if she tries to run fast, she can't walk very well the next two days.
- [14:09]
Lauren Akins
That is a very classic herding dog. She, by the way, is laying on the other couch and snoring so loud. It's amazing. She's living her best life, and she's so cute.
- [14:22]
Colgate Advertiser
Colgate Total may make your favorite toothpaste, but it's also a science innovator committed to oral health. For instance, the Colgate Total active prevention system. With a cutting edge toothbrush, refreshing antibacterial mouthwash, and a reformulated toothpaste. With a technology so innovative, it won the 2024 Edison patent award. The Colgate Total Active prevention system is 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup to fight the root cause of oral health problems in six weeks starting from week to a non antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat trim toothbrush. Talk about science. Get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today so you can be dentist ready. Shop now by visiting shop.colgate.com total.
- [15:07]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And.
- [15:07]
Dr. J
It'S going to Take Us to Heal Us.
- [15:09]
Taraji P. Henson
It's Mental Health Awareness Month and on a recent episode of just heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. So what I'm hearing you saying is healing is a part of us also reconnecting to our childhood in some sort.
- [15:28]
Dr. J
You said I look how youthful I look because I never let that little girl inside of me die. I go outside and run outside with the dogs. I still play like a kid. I laugh. You know, I love jokes. I love funny. I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously. That's the stuff that keeps you young and stops you from being so hard to hear.
- [15:50]
Taraji P. Henson
This and more things on the journey of healing. You can listen to just heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts at.
- [16:04]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And T Connecting Changes Everything.
- [16:09]
Dan Flores
The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and Meat Eater founder Stephen Rinella.
- [16:40]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say, it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves.
- [16:49]
Dan Flores
So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
- [17:01]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [17:14]
Lauren Akins
So when we had first met, you guys were like, hey, we're gonna sign up for the concierge vet. And we got everything together. And then I was like, well when? When should I come out for our first visit? And you're like, let me check my calendar. And then I didn't hear from you for like a month. And I was like, this is weird. Like, I hope everything's okay.
- [17:32]
Dr. Josie Horczak
It's also not shocking if you're trying to text me ever, but you might not hear from me from a month. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you, but. Yes, continue.
- [17:39]
Lauren Akins
But then you came up for air a few weeks later and you were like, by the way, something's happened. And I get like, 175 page report from the ER clinic here.
- [17:51]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Did.
- [17:52]
Lauren Akins
Yes. Because I had to get his records. It was, I think, 175 pages something.
- [17:56]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Oh, I mean, I don't doubt it. Yeah. After all of the things that we went through, I don't doubt it was 175 pages.
- [18:03]
Lauren Akins
I was like, ah, just some light reading. Perfect. So, yeah, I get the report that comes through, and I'm like, oh, my God. And so what happened with our friend Cash?
- [18:16]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Gosh, it was so traumatic. It was awful. It was awful.
- [18:19]
Lauren Akins
You're like, now I need therapy.
- [18:21]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Honestly. No joke. I. Okay, trying to back up. So it was. What month was it?
- [18:29]
Lauren Akins
I think the November. October. It was pumpkin season.
- [18:32]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah.
- [18:33]
Lauren Akins
Maybe November.
- [18:34]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah, I think it was November, October, maybe early December. I can't remember. It was after Halloween. After. Or maybe right around Thanksgiving, which is why we still had pumpkins.
- [18:47]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [18:48]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But there was an old dried up pumpkin stem that Cash found in true lab fashion. He's like, look at this stick. Look at this. So proud of himself against him. And so he was like, show. She was like, showing off and showing it to me. And we were outside walking around, and he's like prancing around with the stick in his mouth and that. That was it. And I was like, all right. You know, didn't think about it and honestly, until after all this is over. And I was like, oh, my gosh. I know what it was. So I let the dogs in that night, trying to go back in my brain the story. Thomas Stratt was gone. He was out of town. And I was always, always, when the.
- [19:32]
Lauren Akins
Husbands are out of town, always happens.
- [19:35]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yep. Thomas Jarrett was about to. No, I. I was about to leave the next morning. And so I think he was coming home. There was. There was a moment where I was having to leave. He was already gone. And my sister in law was coming to stay with the girls until he got back home. And through the night, I can't remember what happened. I think I may have had a kid in my bed with me. Which happens a lot when he's not here. One of them maybe may have been in bed with me. And that's part of the reason why I wasn't up checking on cash. Also, for better or for worse, our dogs just have accidents in our house. I'm like, what did you eat that made you throw that up? Honestly, like, where did that come from? What? But he. He specifically finds things and will just destroy. He'll chew it up, he'll throw it up later, or he won't throw it up, and it comes out and you're like, how did that make it all the way through your body? But that's just.
- [20:36]
Lauren Akins
The yard is like a cash a sock poop landmine.
- [20:39]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Crazy.
- [20:39]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [20:40]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And so I could hear him kind of like coughing or like, you know, he was trying to get something up. And I'm like, good gracious. And I remember thinking, oh, gosh, then no judgment, please. I'm like, there's probably vomit somewhere on the floor and I am tired, gonna go to bed. But it was like middle of the night. I could hear it, and I was like. And then it stopped. And I was like, okay. And. And the other thing about Cash, he's terrified of storms. He's. He's. He's an anxious little buddy, and he will come to get me because I'm his person. If anything makes him uncomfortable, he is right there next to my bed looking at me going, hey, you gotta figure this out, because There's a storm 45 miles away, and I'm telling you, it is headed straight for us. And you gotta round up the troops. We need to go to the basement. And like, that's. That's what he does. He never said a word. And so I took that as. He didn't say anything to me. And he always talks to me, you know, in the way that they talk to us. And he didn't say anything. So I went back to sleep and slept so hard, as most moms do with kids who sleep through the night. You just sleep really great at night because you're exhausted during the day. And I woke up the next morning early because I had to go to the airport. My sister in law was. Was on her way over. I. I think actually all of my kids were still asleep. It was that early. And he was still. He was standing, like, on the edge of one of my couches, like, off to the side. And he was standing in a weird. Like a weird stance. Like he was like waiting to throw up, but nothing was happening. And then he had like, drool you know, coming from his mouth. Yes. And so I was like, oh, man. Like, you know, usually that means that their stomach's upset or they're really nauseated or whatever. And I'm like, oh, man, buddy, like, you didn't get it up, whatever it is. But he was making such a weird noise that I was like, what is that? He was like, panting kind of, but not able to pant. And I'll.
- [22:49]
Lauren Akins
And by the way, you're a nurse, so, you know, like, right when something's really wrong.
- [22:53]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. So, like, instantly in my spirit, it was like, hey, this is way more than just an upset stomach. Something is going on here. And I remember I was already running a little late. Not shocking. And so I was like, okay, I'm gonna let him out the front door and just kind of see what he does. And so also with Cash, as soon as he goes out, he does his business, and he is right back in the door, right next to my leg, looking at me like, all right, what's next? What do we do? And I let him outside. I went to go get my bags. I came back, and I kept waiting for one of the doors to be opened. Because we have the doors where you can, you know, they're. They're the handle that if you pull down on the handle and push the door open, and Cash can actually, from the outside, open the door and let himself in. Perfect. So I came back out, and I'm like, the doors are still closed. He didn't come back in. And it was one of the Nashville mornings that was freezing cold. Like polar vortex below freezing. Very, very cold. And, you know, dogs aren't he. He's not one to just go sit out in the cold for forever. And I bet it had been probably 15 or 20 minutes and that I knew it was like my spirit went from like, hey, this is a little bit more to like, hey, this is not. Like, he's not okay.
- [24:14]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [24:15]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And so Mackenzie, my sister in law, walks in and she's like, good morning. And you know, she's. And I'm like, I think something's really wrong. And she's like, what? And I'm like, I don't know where Cash is, but I think, like, he's really sick some. He's making a weird noise. And in my mind, I'm going, he couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. That was the noise I was hearing. That was the whole thing. And then the guilt of, like, oh, my gosh, he did this all night long, totally alone. I am like, falling apart. And then I can't find him. And I'm like, I. Something is wrong. Like, we need to call the emergency vet. It was so early in the morning. I was like, we've got to call the emergency vet. And I think we need to get him in. I guarantee the rest of my family, if they'd been here, they would have been like, no, no. And even McKenzie a little bit. She was like, laur, really? You know, like, are you sure? Like, how many times have we been to the emergency bed for cash? Honestly, I can't even tell you because he just eats everything inside or he breaks a bone doing something insano. But I just knew, I knew. And so I went outside and I'm calling his name. She goes out the the side door calling his name. And we've got a fairly big yard. And I'm like, I don't see him anywhere. It's freezing outside. And so I go out and I'm like looking around. And he had gone so far away on the other side of these trees and kind of like buried himself behind the trees and was just laying in the cold grass. And I was like, oh, my God, is so traumatic. I'm like, he is like trying to go away from me because he doesn't want, you know, that you. I've heard, yes.
- [25:59]
Lauren Akins
It's very classic for like herd animals and really any kind of animal that like travels in a pact when they're going to die to like go off and find their own little place to pass away sick.
- [26:10]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah, it makes me sick because he's been such a comfort and a buddy and just loved me so well, our whole family. Thomas would say the same thing if you gave him enough time.
- [26:19]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [26:19]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But it just made me sick that he didn't say something and that he was alone. I know, it broke me. And when I saw him in the side yard, I like, bolted. I took off running and I. This is. Sounds dramatic. I'm not being dramatic. I literally threw my body over him and I was like, no, no, no, buddy. I was like, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm gonna just like, just crying. I'm like, I'm so sorry. Meanwhile, my friends are pulling up for me to get in the car to go to the airport. And I'm just weeping over this dog. And they're like, are you okay? I'm like, no, something is really wrong. I don't think he can breathe. I think something is either stuck in there or. And he was trying to get it up all night long. Anyways, I call the emergency vet. I tell him what's going on. And they're like, well, he's breathing. I'm like, barely. Like, some. Like, something is in there that needs to come out. And so I'm thinking they're gonna go in, they're gonna find what it is, they're gonna remove it, or maybe he's having a reaction to something. His throat is. You know. Either way, they can give him something to, like, for the swelling to go down, to remove the thing, whatever it is. That's where my brain went. Well, they get him in, and I'm. You know, before I go to the airport, I'm, like, literally crying over him, telling him how much I love him, telling him how sorry I am. And just. I kept saying, why didn't you say something? Why didn't you tell me, buddy? And I literally prayed over him, and I was like, lord Jesus, please don't let this be the last, like, how I see him. Like, it's going. My guilt is going to eat me up if I know that he did this all night long. And I chose to go back to sleep. It was so traumatic, which for, you know, as a pet mom is a very traumatic pet story.
- [28:11]
Lauren Akins
Yes.
- [28:12]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And so he goes. And it was a very long 175 page, specifically process to figure out what in the actual heck happened to Little Cash. But once they got him in, I'm, you know, sitting at the airport and our flight's about to board, and I'm like, do I need to cancel? Do I need to come in? And they're like, honestly, you are welcome to come sit with him. I do think every time someone has been here this morning and it's someone he knows, it makes him more excited, and it, like, all of his vitals kind of start crashing.
- [28:46]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [28:47]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Anyways, he fully crashed. And they were like, do you want us to intubate? Like, how do you want us to proceed? And I was like, honestly, this can't be how I tell him by, like, I need one more moment on the couch where he knows that, like, I love him. I appreciate him. Like, I would never intentionally leave him alone all night long to do that by himself.
- [29:11]
Lauren Akins
Right.
- [29:12]
Dr. Josie Horczak
So I'm like, yes. In debate, Thomas Rhett was. I don't know. I can't remember where he was, but I couldn't get a hold of him. And so I'm. I'm like, yes, just do it. Just do it.
- [29:20]
Lauren Akins
And just to give the listeners a little context, we. What happened was he lacerated his trachea. And we think it probably was a pumpkin stem. Like he's running with the pumpkin stem. He falls or trips and that goes down the back of his throat and makes a huge cut into his airway.
- [29:34]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah.
- [29:35]
Lauren Akins
Which is like inches, 2 inches flailing in the wind. So they intubate him and put him on a ventilator.
- [29:41]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But we didn't know there was a laceration until like, because it was so swollen. Four days in.
- [29:45]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [29:46]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I mean, this was. I can't remember how many days. Like five, six. Five, maybe five total.
- [29:50]
Lauren Akins
He was in the ICU for like almost a week.
- [29:52]
Dr. Josie Horczak
He was. So anyways, so Christmas morning. Yes. This is before Christmas. So Christmas morning I'm like, I'm like, I'm gonna put cash on a leash. I'm gonna walk in, in front of our kids and be like, merry Christmas, kids. Here's your Christmas gift. This is the most expensive dog in America and he's still alive here.
- [30:12]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [30:12]
Dr. Josie Horczak
This is your Christmas gift this year. Because Thomas Track kept being like, I'm sorry, what are they doing? But you know, they would do a little bit more, right? And be like, we think it's going to be okay. And they're like, don't cancel your flight, get on your flight. There's nothing you can do right now. He's here. And unless you want to come in, there's nothing you can do. And so I'm like, well, I'm not going to go in there because he's going to look at me like, take me home. Don't leave me in here.
- [30:34]
Lauren Akins
Right. Yeah.
- [30:35]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And I'm not trying to do that. So I was like, okay, I'm gonna go, but call me if anything changes. Well, he crashed, they intubated him. And then it was this whole roller coaster of like, we still don't know. These are the vitals. Here's these lab reports all. And they're like, we're gonna try this. And then they would slowly excavate and.
- [30:56]
Lauren Akins
Then he'd get worse.
- [30:58]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yes, it was awful. And then finally, finally after I think like the fourth day, the swelling had gone down enough that they were able to look back there. And that's when they called and they were like, we found it. He has a 2 inch hole basically in the back of his throat. And they're like, do you know of anything? And I'm like, I have no idea. I mean, I didn't even know that he was hurt. He came in that night before and just lay down. But it just took time for it to, like, the trauma, to build up and to swell and for him to start to, you know, slowly suffocate is what he was doing. It is. Makes me sick, I think about it. But he did finally kind of come out of it. But the crazy part is, you know, a lot of times with humans, if you're a lot older and you go through a lot of that, like, intubating and kind of being in and out of it, a lot of times our bodies as humans don't do super well afterwards. I mean, you're already older, but when you come out of that, you were.
- [32:04]
Lauren Akins
Like, a hundred years older. Yes.
- [32:06]
Dr. Josie Horczak
So much older. Unable to walk as well, unable to see, and, like, all the things, everything kind of starts to tank. Yeah. And so he's 11. I was like. When I asked the vet, I'm like, so what is this? Like, is he gonna be our dog on the other side of this? And she was like, honestly, I know that he's older, but, like, he's healthy. He's a healthy boy. He's active. And so I was just like, what are we gonna. Who are we gonna be picking up when this. Finally, anyways, he pulled through. He made it. But when we. He's. He's a little. He's a thicker. A thicker puppy. And when I picked him up, he looked half the size because they were trying to get him to eat something. Once he was able to. To use his throat again. And he would not touch an ounce of food.
- [32:53]
Lauren Akins
Just not like him.
- [32:54]
Dr. Josie Horczak
No, he wouldn't eat. And I think, truly, he was like, I have no will to live. I've been in here for almost a week. I don't want to live in here. And I just.
- [33:05]
Lauren Akins
And he was so weak. He had a hard time walking.
- [33:07]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Such a hard time. We had to have this thing that kind of, like, went underneath him and kind of. We could. We could pull up and help his back legs stand up a little bit just to walk into the car. But he couldn't use his back legs for days. Yeah. Almost a week. I mean, even just trying to go over these. We have two little steps right here. And he would fall all the time. And I was like, oh, my gosh. Is this about to be. Are we about to have this dog that is almost crippled because of all of this trauma?
- [33:36]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [33:37]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And slowly, I would, you know, wet his food, and I was like, like, boiling chicken. I'm like, what do you. What can I do for you to try to get some kind of protein? He slowly, slowly was like, okay, I'll try, but I think he was traumatized from what happened here. And he's like, I don't want to put anything else down.
- [33:54]
Lauren Akins
Like, that hurts. He also, to mention, got a tracheotomy, which is not like. That is not super common, which is.
- [34:01]
Dr. Josie Horczak
They were like, normally, it's small dogs. We do this too. I'm like, great. Well, he's 120 pounds.
- [34:05]
Lauren Akins
Like, he's a big boy, and he's got a lot of thick, like, neck rolls.
- [34:08]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. That's when. Oh, my gosh.
- [34:10]
Lauren Akins
I know.
- [34:11]
Dr. Josie Horczak
That was awful. The first I texted you, I was like, hey, could you just come? There's something. You're coming over for something. But I was like, also, can you.
- [34:20]
Lauren Akins
Just look at his neck?
- [34:22]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. I'm like, need someone else to do this? And it was.
- [34:27]
Lauren Akins
The scab on his tracheotomy site was huge.
- [34:32]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Gnarly.
- [34:32]
Lauren Akins
Gnarly Sometimes my job. Honestly, though, I don't know how, like, you did humans. I would take a throat scab or dog poop or vomit over humans, I think, because.
- [34:42]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Really?
- [34:42]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [34:43]
Dr. Josie Horczak
See, I think I'm the opposite, which is probably why we do. Exactly.
- [34:47]
Lauren Akins
I'm like, I'll take your throat scab off.
- [34:49]
Dr. Josie Horczak
No problem.
- [34:50]
Lauren Akins
No gloves needed.
- [34:51]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. It's just a lot of hair.
- [34:53]
Lauren Akins
It was crusty.
- [34:54]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah, it was.
- [34:54]
Lauren Akins
Yeah. It was gross.
- [34:55]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Really gross.
- [34:57]
Lauren Akins
But now, I mean, compared to when the first time I saw him after that to now, I mean, he is up, he's running around, his tail's wagging, like. Yeah, he is full of. He talks.
- [35:06]
Dr. Josie Horczak
He talks now, like, not even vocally, but the way that I feel like your animals talk to you. He didn't talk for a very long time after that. Like, I would say something to him, and he just was, like, blank. And I was just like, oh, my gosh, this just wrecked him. He's never coming back. And I was happy to have him here, but it took about a week. And then I would say something, and he would kind of look at me, and I would be like, you do want to talk. You are still here. You want to. And now he is 100, back to normal. He's back at 11 years old.
- [35:36]
Lauren Akins
He's gonna live forever.
- [35:38]
Dr. Josie Horczak
One of the reports, it was like, for follow up and, like, moving forward, Cash is never allowed to have any stick again. I was like, well, I don't know. I'm gonna avoid that. I mean, I get it, because that was really horrible. But sure, I. You know, at the end of the.
- [36:03]
Lauren Akins
Day, they are dogs.
- [36:04]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I'm like, I don't know.
- [36:05]
Lauren Akins
It is funny. We'll make, like, recommendations. And I'm like. As I'm writing it, I'm like, this is never gonna happen.
- [36:11]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But I have to say, recommending this is probably the best thing. Yeah. If this could happen in a perfect world.
- [36:17]
Lauren Akins
Yeah. Never let him smell a stick.
- [36:19]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Sweet vet. They were like, were you recommending he never has another stick? Don't let him chew on a stick. It's like, that's gonna be.
- [36:27]
Lauren Akins
You're like, yeah, okay. I'm just trying to remember to brush my own teeth at this point. That' that's amazing. Okay. One of my other favorite stories about coming over here is one time I walk in, and you are barefoot with your foot up on the counter. Your feet. And you're like, I don't usually sit with my feet on the counter, but I have hurt myself getting off my horse. And I love that you're a horse girl. Have you had horses? Have you always been a horse girl?
- [36:56]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I've always loved them. I've never had a horse.
- [36:59]
Lauren Akins
Okay.
- [37:00]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And so having Daisy is my. She's my sweet little mustang from Wyoming. And she's. She's so awesome. She's a little wild child. But was she broke when you got her?
- [37:15]
Lauren Akins
When you say mustang, I'm like, oh, Lord, that sounds.
- [37:17]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yes. She was very green.
- [37:20]
Lauren Akins
Okay, great.
- [37:22]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But she had. Had a saddle on her.
- [37:24]
Lauren Akins
Okay.
- [37:26]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And I think the guy that worked with her before was super, super kind to her. And so she's. He did a great job with her. And she was new. We both kind of learned together because the way I grew up learning horses was very much like, I love that horse. I'm gonna jump the fence, and me and my friends are gonna go ride my friends horses.
- [37:48]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [37:48]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Without a whole lot of direction.
- [37:51]
Lauren Akins
Reckless abandon.
- [37:52]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah.
- [37:52]
Lauren Akins
No helmets, just out there, right? Yeah.
- [37:54]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And so this time around, I was our horse trainer who just. She. She helps me take care of our horses because they're at our. We have farmland like, 25 minutes from our house, and that's where they stay. And so she goes out and checks on them when we can't be there, and she works with them, and she's incredible. But I just told her, I'm like, I love horses, and I have my own experiences and what I do on horses, but I just want you to pretend like I know nothing. Yeah. And start me over the way. The way it's supposed to work.
- [38:26]
Lauren Akins
Give me a good foundation.
- [38:27]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Give me a good foundation. So it was sweet because I tried to relearn things the right way, which has been so much fun and a great way to ride a horse. And then she's kind of learned also, so we're kind of like learning at the same time. Sweet. And she's awesome. She. I probably try things with her that. That people would recommend that you don't. But I'm like, she trusts me. I trust her. And she's so good to me, because she is. And so I'll jump up on her bareback in the field. In the pasture sometimes.
- [39:10]
Lauren Akins
No, bridal.
- [39:10]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. And just because she's not super tall. And so I'm like, if I need to abandon ship, I can just hop off.
- [39:16]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [39:17]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And I have done that before, but I'm usually doing it in my riding boots.
- [39:21]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [39:22]
Dr. Josie Horczak
You know. Yeah. So we were just playing out of the farm one day and we had some friends over spending the night. We were all staying out there. And I can't even remember what we were doing in the field, but I wasn't even working with her. Nothing. But somebody. I can't remember that she and I somehow ended up in the pasture together just hanging out. And I just jumped up on her for a second and something happened and she kind of started to move fast. And we have this little section of trees in this one pasture and she started to go toward these low hanging trees. And I was like, oh, no, no, no, I don't want to try to do that. And so I went to get off of her quickly and as I did, I had muck boots on. Like. Like thick, heavy, Very. Not sturdy. No, not. So just. Yeah.
- [40:11]
Lauren Akins
Are they the rubber ones?
- [40:12]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Rubber? Yeah. Yeah. Just zero support.
- [40:15]
Lauren Akins
0Ye.
- [40:17]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But they're thick, you know, thick, heavy boots. And I tried to come off her and as I did, one of my boots kind of just didn't let. Allow me to come off the way that I should have. And so she, as she was going, I was trying to come off and I just came off completely sideways and landed just on my right foot, my right leg. But as I did, I just, you know, just landed perfectly on the side enough that my body weight rolled my ankle. Like, nothing worse, 90 degrees. And I don't know much about ankle sprains and tearing ligaments and things like that, but it was a grade three. Is that what he said? I can't remember either way. He said, you tore up your ankle. And I did. I totally. Both sides just tore up the ligaments completely.
- [41:07]
Lauren Akins
It still kind of looks swollen.
- [41:09]
Dr. Josie Horczak
It is still swollen.
- [41:10]
Lauren Akins
Oh, are you still limping?
- [41:12]
Dr. Josie Horczak
A little. Like we there Was a borderline emergency with one of my kids yesterday, and she'd pulled something heavy over on top of her. And I am trying to sprint through the house and, like, willing my ankle to move, and it was, like, totally frozen, and I'm, like, trying to run fast, and I'm like, move, ankle, move. Like, this is important. So, yeah, it's still not back to normal, but I'm able. I'm, like, walking without my brace and.
- [41:37]
Lauren Akins
Is this episode full of traumatic stories?
- [41:39]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. What in the world? Honestly?
- [41:42]
Lauren Akins
I'm just kidding.
- [41:43]
Dr. Josie Horczak
We really are not a traumatic family. Most of the time.
- [41:47]
Lauren Akins
Just gobbling. My ankle won't move. My child's got something heavy on top of her.
- [41:51]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Doctor. Yeah.
- [41:53]
Lauren Akins
That's amazing. And how. How old is Daisy?
- [41:56]
Dr. Josie Horczak
She's. Let's see. When I met her, I was pregnant with Lily. That was four years ago. And I think she has that. That brand, you know, that Mustangs have on their neck. And I think it tells you, like, all the things. I need to shave it down and look at it and see. Exactly. But I think she's probably, like, nine.
- [42:21]
Lauren Akins
Okay. She's getting, like, more mature now.
- [42:24]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Eight, maybe. Yeah.
- [42:26]
Lauren Akins
She's not as a good mare. There's nothing better than a good mare. I love.
- [42:31]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But they're also total divas.
- [42:33]
Lauren Akins
Oh, totally. And they're so smart. It's kind of like the girl dogs.
- [42:35]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. She's so much like Kona. And then our geldings are so much like Cash.
- [42:41]
Lauren Akins
Exactly the same way.
- [42:42]
Dr. Josie Horczak
It's so funny. But it's funny because. Or Kona is like Thomas Rhett's person and I'm Cash's or other way around. He is her person. Daisy is for sure.
- [42:54]
Lauren Akins
Mary's get more attached. Yeah, I agree with that. Has Thomas ever written a song about the dogs or animals?
- [43:03]
Dr. Josie Horczak
He has mentioned them in songs.
- [43:06]
Lauren Akins
Really?
- [43:06]
Dr. Josie Horczak
For sure. Yeah. There's a couple of songs. I feel like he's got lines in there about something. Something in our dogs or. What is it? Oh, my gosh. This is horrible. It's another one of those episodes of, like, Lauren doesn't know her husband's music.
- [43:18]
Lauren Akins
No, it's okay.
- [43:19]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But it's something we got. I'm 25. What is the song? Oh, 16. I can't say the line, but if you go look it up, it's there. The dog, 25, drinking wine, something. Got a couple dogs. Couple songs on the radio. There it is. That's it. That's. They're mentioned there for sure.
- [43:39]
Lauren Akins
Your biggest fan.
- [43:42]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I really am. Listen, I Am. I know any of your stuff, But I love you.
- [43:47]
Lauren Akins
You keep everything together, and you can't recite lyrics. We'll take it.
- [43:51]
Dr. Josie Horczak
It's okay. Thank you. I need to hear that.
- [43:53]
Lauren Akins
Do the dogs ever go on tour or hit the road?
- [43:55]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I can't. They did.
- [43:56]
Lauren Akins
Okay.
- [43:58]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And then we just don't tour with them really, anymore. Our girls are older.
- [44:01]
Lauren Akins
Imagine packing up all four of your children.
- [44:04]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah, the dogs. We do go to the beach with the dogs.
- [44:08]
Lauren Akins
Okay.
- [44:09]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. And I have an extra long Jeep. I grew up. My family grew up with an XL Suburban. And I have the Jeep version of that now. And we piled up and drove to the beach. And so it's got the third row, but then, like, the extra space in the back, and.
- [44:32]
Lauren Akins
And you're all in there.
- [44:33]
Dr. Josie Horczak
We're all cannot. We're all in there. So I put the younger three in the first. The bench in the middle of the truck, and then, obviously, the front two seats. And then Willa Gray, my oldest, she got the third row, and I. She sat in the third row. And then Cash, I had him climb. I'm trying to think how I did this. I think we laid the seat down. Cash climbed in with Willa Gray put the seat back up. Ada James sat in that seat. And so Cash, literally the whole ride, laid in Willa Gray's lab. And then Kona had the back to herself with all the bags.
- [45:12]
Lauren Akins
I cannot imagine.
- [45:14]
Dr. Josie Horczak
It was so. I felt so just like we're our whole family, all six of us, plus our two dogs are going on a little.
- [45:21]
Lauren Akins
We're all together.
- [45:22]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Adventure. And everybody's.
- [45:24]
Lauren Akins
Is everyone, like, keeping themselves entertained, or is it just, like, fighting, screaming, laughing?
- [45:29]
Dr. Josie Horczak
There are moments where somebody's like, I had that Barbie. You know, she. She took it. We're not. You can't take. We're not allowed to take. You're right. We're not allowed to take. Linen. Give it back. Don't take from Lily. But I wanted to turn with it. There was a little bit of that, but for the most part, it's like, can you turn this song on? And everybody's singing to the song, and I'm like, okay, but we can turn it up. And not too loud, because we do have dogs in the car. And, yeah, we have to also consider what.
- [45:53]
Lauren Akins
They listen to Dad's music.
- [45:55]
Dr. Josie Horczak
They do.
- [45:55]
Lauren Akins
That's cute. They do.
- [45:57]
Dr. Josie Horczak
They'll have. They'll request lots of things, but every now and then, we'll request requests, and they're like, play daddy's song that says this. And I have to kind of, like, decipher. I'm like, what song is that?
- [46:08]
Lauren Akins
Let's think about that. Is it mainly country that they request?
- [46:11]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yes. Yeah. Well, no. Well, so my little two are still, like, you know, love Disney music and like.
- [46:22]
Lauren Akins
Like Frozen.
- [46:23]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. Moana, too. Right now is Lily's big thing. She's like, turn on let. Almost said, let it go. There's a song. Like, I'm not gonna try to remember it, but there is a song every single day, and she definitely loves Can I get a Chihu?
- [46:36]
Lauren Akins
Okay.
- [46:37]
Dr. Josie Horczak
If there's any Moana 2 fans out there, we should. We love that song. But the older two, really, they love music. They can dance, too. And I feel like they. They love country music too, but they also really. They like a variety.
- [46:53]
Lauren Akins
That's cute.
- [46:54]
Dr. Josie Horczak
They just love to dance.
- [46:55]
Lauren Akins
That's precious.
- [46:56]
Dr. Josie Horczak
They want a song that makes you feel like you can dance, and I'm here for it.
- [46:59]
Lauren Akins
You're like, we love that. Yeah, that's fun. Does. Okay. I'm only asking this because I'm in love with your mom. Your mom is now one of my clients, and she. If you're listening, Lisa, I love you. She's like the most beautiful, kind, warm person I've ever met. Does she go down to the beach with you guys?
- [47:14]
Dr. Josie Horczak
She does a lot. She's actually there right now.
- [47:16]
Lauren Akins
Is she? Oh, yeah. I did know this.
- [47:17]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. Her birthday is coming up, and she's there with her, one of her best friends for their birthdays together.
- [47:24]
Lauren Akins
That's so cute. She's actually so nice. You've got your whole family here. I'm sure everyone can all kind of help. It is a village.
- [47:30]
Dr. Josie Horczak
It's sweet. We have a lot of fun. And when we all get together, you know, there's 20 something of us, and it's so much fun. I love getting to do life with. With family close by. So we feel very blessed to have our community so close and. And then our, you know, not. Not family. Family close. Yeah. Everyone is really close. But I do think. I think Nashville is a sweet community, and I think a lot of people feel that way about their community here.
- [48:01]
Lauren Akins
Absolutely.
- [48:01]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But it's nice having our families close.
- [48:03]
Lauren Akins
Yes. I mean, it's a huge help, too.
- [48:06]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah. Everybody. Yeah, we go. Everybody comes. Here they come. They bring their dogs. Just. It's a whole big party.
- [48:15]
Lauren Akins
It's a lot of people, A lot of pets. Sure is. And we love it.
- [48:18]
Dr. Josie Horczak
We love it.
- [48:21]
Colgate Advertiser
Colgate Total may make your favorite toothpaste, but it's also a science innovator committed to oral health. For instance, the Colgate Total Active Prevention System with a cutting edge toothbrush, refreshing antibacterial mouthwash and a reformulated toothpaste with With a technology so innovative it won the 2024 Edison Patent Award, the Colgate Total Active prevention system is 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup to fight the root cause of oral health problems in six weeks starting from week one compared to a non antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat trim toothbrush. Talk about science. Get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today so you can be dentist ready. Shop now by visiting shop.colgate.com total.
- [49:06]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And.
- [49:06]
Dr. J
It'S gonna Take Us to Heal Us.
- [49:08]
Taraji P. Henson
It's Mental Health Awareness Month and on a recent episode of just heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. So what I'm hearing you saying is healing is a part of us also reconnecting to our childhood in some sort.
- [49:27]
Dr. J
You said I look how youthful I look because I never let that little girl inside of me die. I go outside and run outside with the dogs. I still play like a kid. I laugh, you know, I love jokes. I love funny. I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously. That's the stuff that keeps you young and stops you from being so hard to hear.
- [49:49]
Taraji P. Henson
This and more things on the journey of healing. You can listen to just heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast at.
- [50:02]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And T Connecting Changes Everything.
- [50:08]
Dan Flores
The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known history. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and meat eater founder Stephen Rinella.
- [50:38]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say, it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves.
- [50:48]
Dan Flores
So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
- [51:00]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [51:12]
Lauren Akins
All right, and we are back, and we are going to do our paw and order of the week. Lauren can't hear this, but right now, this. Playing this music, it's amazing. And this is a segment where I tell owners three things I would never do with my own pets as a veterinarian. The first of which, you made me think about earlier when you said that you took Kona to the dog park. And this is not meant to shame you, but I do tell owners I would not take my new puppies to dog parks exactly for the reason that.
- [51:43]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Yeah, I feel that you found out. Yeah, I'm on your same page now.
- [51:46]
Lauren Akins
And it's so funny because we, like, tell you, hey, socialize them. Get them out there. So, of course, owners are gonna be like, let's go to the dog.
- [51:52]
Dr. Josie Horczak
And it feels eas. You're like, they just want to run. Let's just take them. Yeah, it does. It feels. It feels easy. Till it's not.
- [51:58]
Lauren Akins
Yeah. Until it all goes down. No. So I. I get why owners do it. And to be fair, I used to take my dog there back in vet school, and then I quickly realized that that is where they get into fights. If they're really small, they're going to get picked on. A lot of the dogs will, like, gang up on other dogs. And really, I've just found that nothing good comes from the dog park.
- [52:22]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I feel that. Really? Honestly. Why. Why didn't I know you 10 years, 13 years ago. 13 years ago. Dang it.
- [52:29]
Lauren Akins
Well, now you know. And so I do have owners say, well, what am I supposed to do then? And if you can find a neighbor or a friend or a family member that has another dog that plays really nicely, that's a great way to socialize. But, yeah, I would avoid the dog park. Now we know.
- [52:44]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Say less. Okay.
- [52:45]
Lauren Akins
Okay. Number two on the list today is. I would not. This is also something you have reminded me of. I would not neglect my barn or outdoor cats. And you and Thomas Rhett have barn cats.
- [52:57]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I've never had a cat before.
- [52:59]
Lauren Akins
My mom's allergic lady.
- [53:00]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Speaking of. Oh, Lisa. Yeah, she's really allergic. And so we were just never allowed to have them, but we have them now, and I love them. I honestly, my whole life have been like, people are like dogs or cats, and I'm like, dogs all day long, which I still. For sure. But I love our barn cats. Not only do they keep the barn really clean, but they. They get along. I was telling you, you know, how, you know, treat Oriented caches. Yeah. And the. The cats were getting a little treat one day. Like a little. It's like a spoon that's almost like the peanut butter consistency. And one of our cats was licking the treat and a little bit got on his nose. And Cash is coming up and it took a while. I was like, are they gonna hurt each other? Like, you know, dogs and cats don't get along. And thankfully everybody is buddies now. So much so that when. When Pumpkin did have a little bit of extra food on his face. Catch. I look over and Cash is licking his face. He's like, I'll get that for you. He's licking his face and Pumpkin's head is going like.
- [54:04]
Lauren Akins
Pumpkin has whiplash.
- [54:05]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Every time Cash's tongue came in his face, I was like, actually, I am so here for dog and cat life.
- [54:11]
Lauren Akins
We. One of my podcast episodes, we were talking about interspecies relationships. Like a dog and a ca. Duck and a donkey. Like those when they become friends.
- [54:19]
Dr. Josie Horczak
So cute. Yeah.
- [54:20]
Lauren Akins
It's the cutest thing in the world.
- [54:21]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Explosion.
- [54:22]
Lauren Akins
It's so cute.
- [54:22]
Dr. Josie Horczak
But, yeah, you've educated me a lot on my bar and cats.
- [54:25]
Lauren Akins
On cats. Yeah. So, I mean, it's just like any other pet. And they need to. Maybe more so they need to have more vaccines than the average or getting ready to spay and neuter them, which is super important. And wondering maybe if Mittens is pregnant.
- [54:37]
Dr. Josie Horczak
We're trying to keep it to three cats right now, but we shall see.
- [54:41]
Lauren Akins
I'm gonna bring you on on season four and you'd be like, now I'm an owner of 25 cats. Yeah. So I just always tell people, like, make sure those cats are still getting all of like, the basic wellness care that all of your indoor pets are getting as well.
- [54:55]
Dr. Josie Horczak
So.
- [54:55]
Lauren Akins
And you guys do a great job of that when I guess this will bring me to my last point. And Cash licking Pumpkin's face makes me think of this. A lot of times owners will call me and say, hey, my cat has a cold or my dog has diarrhea. And they wonder like, can my cat get this from my dog or vice versa? Or can I get this from my pets? And it's not all the time, but most of the time these things are species specific.
- [55:22]
Dr. Josie Horczak
That's so nice. We actually just had sickness go through the house last week and I did think, I'm like, who have the dogs licked or eaten after? Are they gonna get the stomach bug?
- [55:31]
Lauren Akins
Yeah.
- [55:32]
Dr. Josie Horczak
That my kids have. Thankfully, everybody was fun dog wise.
- [55:36]
Lauren Akins
A really big one was Covid People were really stressed, like, can my dog get it? Can I get it for my dog? Can I give it to my dog? And we found out that that's not the case. And so the majority of those viruses, like norovirus and the flu, we. We don't get from our pets. So it gives you a little extra good to know reassurance. Yeah. So when Cash is licking everyone's face.
- [55:55]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Everyone's face. After he licks everyone's face.
- [55:58]
Lauren Akins
Yeah. We are in the clear.
- [56:01]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Perfect. Yep.
- [56:02]
Lauren Akins
One last thing for you to worry about. That's right.
- [56:04]
Dr. Josie Horczak
That's right.
- [56:04]
Lauren Akins
So that is the end of our pawn order and the end of our episode. Thank you so much for coming on today.
- [56:10]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Oh, my gosh. I've loved you being here and honestly, just how well you take care of our animals. And we're just really grateful for you. And I'm just glad that my dogs don't tuck their tail and run when you come through the house.
- [56:23]
Lauren Akins
Me too. I'm like, okay, I'm not wearing a hat. I don't have a dolly of boxes.
- [56:27]
Dr. Josie Horczak
You actually are phenomenal.
- [56:28]
Lauren Akins
I'm gonna wear a uniform.
- [56:29]
Dr. Josie Horczak
I don't see you as a vet.
- [56:31]
Lauren Akins
I hope not. I try my hardest.
- [56:33]
Dr. Josie Horczak
It's good because they. They don't love the vet, but they do love you.
- [56:37]
Lauren Akins
That makes me very happy. Grateful for you. Well, I'm grateful for you guys. It is definitely a privilege to take care of them and have great owners like you both. So thank you.
- [56:45]
Dr. Josie Horczak
Thanks for having me.
- [56:46]
Lauren Akins
And guys, as always, be sure to rate, review, subscribe. Let me know if you have any questions. You can always DM me on Instagram @ Dr. Jose Vet and we'll see you next week.
- [57:23]
Colgate Advertiser
Colgate Total may make your favorite toothpaste, but it's also a science innovator committed to oral health. For instance, the Colgate Total active prevention system with a cutting edge toothbrush, refreshing antibacterial mouthwash and a reformulated toothpaste. With a technology so innovative it won the 2024 Edison Patent Award, the Colgate Total active prevention system is 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup to fight the root cause of oral health problems in six weeks starting from week one. Compared to a non antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat trimmed toothbrush. Talk about science. Get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today so you can be dentist ready shop now by visiting shop.colgate.com total.
- [58:08]
Dan Flores
Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
- [58:31]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [58:38]
Taraji P. Henson
I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lod, and this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast.
- [58:43]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports.
- [58:49]
Taraji P. Henson
This kind of star studded a little bit, man.
- [58:51]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
We met them at their home. We met them at the recording studios. Stories matter and it brings a face to it.
- [58:57]
Taraji P. Henson
It makes it real.
- [58:58]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
It really does. It makes it real.
- [59:00]
Taraji P. Henson
Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs Podcast, Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [59:08]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.