Meet the Kwasnieskis! We love seeing this family, whether it is with Ruby in for her bath and brush or Millie and Watson for their cat wellness care or Tony the Salamander to get his skin in great shape so he can go back to educating the students! We miss Toby Kwasnieski dearly, and are so honored to walk through all of life's ups and downs with this great family and their pets.

Baby and Watson, "Getting to Know You"

Milly Hiding in Bubble Wrap

Tell us about your family – humans and pets!

Today we have Ruby, a border collie mix, Millie, a calico cat and Watson, a grey tabby. The vet staff calls Watson by another  name because he is an enormous cat with a squeaky voice. They refer to him as Mike Tyson.

Watson Hiding, 2013

Since we started at Gentle Doctor (in 1989?), we have had two daughters, eight cats, two dogs, two rats and a salamander.

What does the family do for a living and for fun?

Ruby likes to bark at squirrels and birds, so we never have wildlife in our yard. The cats like to play and nap. Mark works and goes to school part time, Leslie teaches microbiology at Metro and watches our adorable 19 month old grandson on Fridays. 

Tell us more about the pets you have now and the pets you have had in the past.

At one point we had pet rats. When they got sick, Pete anesthetized them.

Our favorite pet was Toby. He was twenty years old this year and developed an abscessed tooth. There were other complications, so we had to put him to sleep, probably the most difficult day of my life, but the Candlewood staff made it so much easier. 

Toby was a stray, and one day just showed up with an abscess on his back. Dr R. Bashara told us we had to bring him in as a pet or give him to the humane society, but we couldn’t continue to leave him as a stray. Best decision we ever made. He loved people and would crawl into someone’s lap for attention, especially if he sensed they were allergic.

Toby

Tell us about when you first met the Gentle Doctor team or a story about the team others may not know.

We originally became customers because I met Laura Drews. She hosted a Tupperware party, and I was the Tupperware lady. We have loved the respect that your staff has shown our pets over the years.

What have you learned about pets that you did not know as a kid or before you had your own pets?

How much it hurts to say goodbye. All those jokes about taking the family cat/dog to the farm certainly spared our feelings when we were children.

Do you have wisdom about any medical conditions that you could share with someone who is perhaps just starting to walk their pet through a similar situation?

Trust your vet to tell you when it is time to let a pet go. 

Do you have a favorite breed or type of pet?

I love my cats, but I have a pet salamander named Tony at work. He is incredibly popular. He has people that come down daily to see him. When he got an infection Dr. Finch saved his life with a simple antibiotic. I didn’t think it was possible!

Tony the Salamander

Is there a cause you would like us to help spread the word about?

We volunteer for a non-profit organization called CommuniTyler. We have one day a year where we do community service in Omaha. We have been making fleece blankets to  donate to Project Harmony, who gives them to abused and neglected children in the Omaha area. This year our volunteers donated 75 blankets! It is an annual event, usually early in May.

Is there anything else we should include in your story?

Just that we have really appreciated all the times we have needed help and the Gentle Doctor staff has been there to console, fix, babysit, and laugh with us. You’re family, and we consider ourselves to be fortunate to be your patients.

Watson Climbs Ladders, 2014