Author: Site Administrator

Meet a Board Member – David Gans

David Gans, DVM
Vice President

David had an epiphany as a young child that he would become the world’s first ANIMAL DOCTOR, pioneering a new field and contributing a new found profession to the world. Much to his dismay, he was informed of the veterinary field and settled for that. He was born and raised in Hawaii, and after obtaining his DVM at Colorado State University in 2018, returned to the islands to work at Hawaii Kai Veterinary Clinic, where he has been ever since. 

Along with his girlfriend Jayeon, he has been slowly building up their home zoo of rescues and their COVID garden. They have two cats Amaru and Dotori, a red footed tortoise, and recently a couple ducklings. They also enjoy hiking, surfing, and other outdoor activities.

David looks forward to expanding his knowledge and experience in general practice. He is especially interested in gaining more training with exotics and expanding his abilities in rehabilitation work. 

In Remembrance – Eric Jayne

Eric Jayne, DVM, worked with Cat Friends, Molokai Humane Society, and the Hawaiian Humane Society, served as the Hawaii HSVMA representative, and was due back in the islands later this summer. He was with his partner Sally visiting their dear friend, Dr. Lori Gossard, in North Dakota when a semi truck hit their car from behind. Eric was killed instantly. He was a great man, an adoring husband, and doting father. He was tireless and committed to improving human and animal lives. His impact was felt by many, and will continue to be.

Sally plans to keep their non-profit, Sovereign Nations Veterinary, fully running and contributing back to the indigenous communities they serve. A celebration of life service for Eric was held in Des Moines, and a prayer vigil in his memory at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe reservation. His family started a go-fund-me page to help continue his work at https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-honor-of-dr-eric-jayne.

Panleukopenia Cases

Submitted by Kasey Carter, DVM

The Hawaii Cat Café (a Hawaiian Humane Society offsite adoption partner) closed to the public for two weeks starting Tuesday, July 27 due to a confirmed case of panleukopenia.  The Hawaii Cat Café has dedicated their space for the next two weeks to quarantine & monitor cats who were potentially exposed.  They are working closely with the Hawaiian Humane Society veterinary team to deliver diagnostics and care as needed.  Over thirty cats have been adopted from Hawaii Cat Café over the last two weeks – these adopters have been contacted to inform them of the panleukopenia exposure and have been offered a physical exam and vaccination through our Veterinary Services department.
 
To date, we have no additional confirmed cases in our cat population, which includes our other partners.  Our vaccine protocols include vaccination of all animals on intake, vaccination of kittens/puppies between 4-18 weeks every two weeks while in our care, and to vaccinate dogs and cats >18 weeks twice (if they are in our care at least 2 weeks).

If you have any questions or concerns or see any suspect/positive panleukopenia cases, please reach out directly to Dr. Carter at kcarter@hawaiianhumane.org

Thank you!

Letter from the President – July 2021

Alfred Mina, DVM
HVMA President

We are half way through 2021.  The HVMA Executive Board continues to work on improving veterinary services in the islands. There is still an increasing need for veterinary specialists as well as general practitioners, and we look forward to working with DVMs from the class of 2021 and others that want to relocate to Hawai’i . If you know of any new graduates from Hawai’i or those thinking of relocating here feel free to contact the HVMA for support.

Thank you to those who continue to support HVMA.  A lot of this is done through membership dues. If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, please feel free to follow the link.

Please don’t forget to check in on our online CE provided by HVMA.  Let us know if there are any specific topics that we can look into for future presentations.

It is hurricane season, so be prepared and make sure you have a natural disaster kit, including food and medical supplies, for your pets.

Please continue to stay safe with the Covid Delta variant during this pandemic and hope to see you all soon!

Sincerely,
Alfred J. Mina, DVM

In Remembrance – Trevor Leo Rodrigues

Dr. Trevor Leo Rodrigues, 64, of Papaikou, HI, died at the Hilo Medical Center on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. He was born in Tanzania and was the owner of  Aloha Veterinary Center. He was also a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Hilo Bay, and the Makule Soccer League.

A compassionate and caring man who was always willing to help anyone who walked through the clinic door, he was admired for his selflessness, love of animals, and dedication to using his knowledge and understanding to help the community. His passing is a great loss for his family, friends and the veterinary community, and he will be deeply missed.

Private family services were held.

He is survived by his wife Colleen Rodrigues of Papaikou, HI, sons Jensen (Clarice) Rodrigues of Oahu, and Shea (Chaunda) Rodrigues of Hilo, HI, step-daughters Tiana (Dylan) Magdaro of Keaau, HI, and Kaylee Magdaro of Papaikou, HI, as well as brothers Kevin (Regina) Rodrigues of Kona, HI, Clarence (Keiko) Rodrigues of Kaneohe, Oahu, HI. He is also survived by four grandchildren, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and a nephew.

Suicide Prevention and Mental Health

Delve into the latest research on suicide and its causes in this conversation on veterinary mental health with experts from the AVMA and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). Learn strategies to promote mental health, prevent suicide, and intervene in a mental health crisis. Come away knowing individual and community risk and protective factors, get guidance on mental health crisis warning signs, and learn how to get help for someone in crisis – vital steps in building healthy communities and supporting our colleagues and peers. A culture of caring offers help and hope to its members—and we all can play a role in building that community.
View webinar here

Meet a Board Member: Caren Tamura-Taira

Caren Tamura-Taira, DVM
Oahu County Representative

Dr. Caren Tamura-Taira grew up on the beautiful countryside of Waianae, Hawaii. From a young age she loved animals and had fishes, rabbits, cats, a pet chicken that was hatched from an egg at school, and “Chummy” her first dog.

After graduating from Mid-Pacific Institute in 1983, Caren did her undergraduate years majoring in microbiology at Colorado State University. She earned a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree at Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science in 1990.

Soon after completing college, she came back to Hawaii to start her dream career as a small animal medicine veterinarian. Caren is currently practicing at the Waipio Pet Clinic and previously was at the Animal Clinic Waimalu for many years.

She enjoys spending time with her family and dog Simba. Whenever there is free time she also enjoys crafting, cooking, hiking and now running in virtual marathons. This is her first year on the HVMA board and she is honored to be a part of the organization. She looks forward to working hard and collaborating with the other members and the veterinary community.

Letter from the President – April 2021

Alfred Mina, DVM
HVMA President

The HVMA Executive Board continues to work on improving veterinary services in the islands. There has been an increasing need for veterinary specialists as well as general practitioners, and we look forward to working with soon-to-be-DVMs from the class of 2021. If you know of any students from Hawai’i or those thinking of relocating here, feel free to contact the HVMA for support.

Thank you to those who continue to support HVMA. A lot of this is done through membership dues and volunteer effort. If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, please feel free to do so here. Please continue to stay safe during this pandemic and hope to see you all soon!

Sincerely,
Alfred J. Mina, DVM

Leianne Lee Loy Running for AVMA Board of Directors Representing Hawaii’s District

Message from Leianne K. Lee Loy, current AVMA Hawaii Delegate and candidate for AVMA Board of Directors Representing District X:

Aloha Colleagues!

I ask for your support and vote to be the next member of the AVMA Board
of Directors. You will be receiving an email from the AVMA with a ballot,
my biography and “Seeking Statement”. You will have from March 1-31st to
vote.

I share with you a platform for which I bring my diverse perspective:
a) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – educating and advocating for our Veterinary Community.
b) Quality of life for the Veterinary Community – raising a family and caring for our elderly family members while working.
c) Retaining and Maintaining AVMA membership throughout your veterinary Career.
d) Support of “support staff” – veterinary nurses/technicians building a career that brings satisfaction.
e) Critique of the AVMA during COVID 19 – how well did we support the Veterinary Community? There are 500,000 Americans who lost their lives to
COVID19; how were animals/veterinarians affected by those lives lost? As the AVMA reviews their response to this pandemic, strategic plans can be made to prepare for future health emergencies.

An email message will be sent to all eligible voters, providing instructions
and a link to a secure voting website. The email is sent from the address
AVMAelection@avma.org. Please vote!

More information available here:
www.fb.com/VoteLeianneForAVMABoard
www.instagram.com/leianneleeloyforavmaboard

Conservation Medicine Spotlight: Avian Translocations with Pacific Rim Conservation

by Adrien Pesque, DVM

Pacific Rim Conservation, a nonprofit organization, has the mission of maintaining and restoring native bird diversity, populations, and ecosystems in Hawaii and the Pacific Region. In an effort to combat the threats to seabird populations including climate change and non-native predators (feral cats, pigs, rats, etc), chicks are translocated to predator proof fenced refuges on the main Hawaiian islands where they will fledge and return to breed. On Oahu, black-footed albatross, Bonin petrel, and Tristram’s storm-petrel chicks were translocated from Midway and Tern Island to James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. On Kauai, endangered Hawaiian petrels and Newell’s shearwater face similar threats of habitat degradation and non-native predators, but also collisions with power lines and structures exacerbated by light attraction. Individuals of these two species were translocated from the Kauai mountaintops to a predator proof fenced area within the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. These new breeding colonies will provide a safe haven for new generations to come. 

Dr. Adrien Pesqué, the staff wildlife veterinarian, joined the team this year and created a mobile veterinary clinic to oversee the health of the chicks. Clinical cases included avian pox lesions, osteomyelitis of the beak, a non-healing corneal ulcer, and aspiration pneumonia secondary to gastric foreign bodies. Plastics and fishing material in the GI tract were present in our chicks and continue to cause life threatening problems for ocean wildlife. 

Dr. Suzanne Pluskat, the staff wildlife veterinarian stationed on Midway Atoll, worked with partners to ensure the safety of the endangered Laysan duck for the anticipated rodent eradication on the island. Laysan duck cases involved pododermatitis, complicated corneal ulcers, femoral fracture repair and physical therapy. During the “construction season” (July-September when there are no albatross), many white tern chicks and the first ever black noddy chick were salvaged and fledged successfully.  

Pacific Rim Conservation partners with multiple government and non-profit groups to make this work possible. To learn more about these translocations and other research projects, please visit www.pacificrimconservation.org.