FOX6 News profiles Dr. Tom the visiting veterinarian
PORT WASHINGTON -- Dr. Tom Kruske is one of those rare doctors who still makes house calls. In fact, it's the only way he sees patients. It's a level of service people typically just don't find anymore, and Dr. Kruske brings quality care with him everywhere he goes.
On a typical day, after kissing his wife goodbye, Kruske gears up his office on wheels and heads to Grafton to begin his day filled with appointments all set up via word-of-mouth.
Later, Joan and Clarence Schatzman watch Dr. Tom, as he's known, carefully attend to Buddy -- a 15-month-old cock-a-poo puppy in their living room.
This is routine for "visiting vet" Dr. Tom, who has been doing this for 16 years.
"It's certainly a shorter-lived stress on (the animals) because they don't know I'm coming, and they (don't) get in the car and panic," Dr. Tom said.
Buddy's checkup went well, and the Schatzmans express their gratitude for Dr. Tom.
"We don't have to go anywhere and wait in line at a clinic or anything. Buddy's comfortable and he knows a family member is coming to see him," the Schatzmans said.
From there, Dr. Tom heads off for another appointment.
In Shorewood, Rebecca Kane says Clarance the cat is kind of a handful! After a few minutes of cat corralling, Dr. Tom has things under control -- something Kane says would never happen at a vet clinic.
Kane's other cat Bebe is much more easily handled.
In almost no time at all, Dr. Tom was off to his next appointment in Milwaukee where Katie, the six-year-old rescue dog waited with a lump on her tail. Dr. Tom told Lorraine Scheidt it is nothing to worry about.
"I'd keep an eye on it, but if you gotta have a lump, that's a pretty good one to have," Dr. Tom said.
Dr. Tom grows more concerned once he gets out his stethoscope and learns Katie has a mild heart murmur. The good news is it isn't creating any trouble right now, but Dr. Tom warns Scheidt to keep an eye on it.
Scheidt told FOX6 News she doesn't know what she would do without Dr. Tom. She recalls the pain many have felt going to a vet's office to put her previous dog down.
"It was very hard to walk away from the place, and you're in tears, and it's very difficult," Scheidt said.
Scheidt says when Dr. Tom helped euthanize her dying cat last year, it definitely helped to be in the comfort of her own home.
For Dr. Tom, helping pet owners through the loss of their pets is a sad yet proud part of his nearly 1,000 patient practice.
"This has worked out pretty well, and I like the relationships I've been able to establish," Dr. Tom said.
Even with the home visits, Dr. Tom's clients told FOX6 News his prices are very reasonable. Dr. Tom says he's less expensive than about 75% of people out there -- providing a cost-effective price with convenience.