Category: Newsletter

AVMA News – January 2026

Greetings from your AVMA delegates! We recently returned from the January House of Delegates meeting in Chicago, where we reviewed and approved several small updates to the AVMA Bylaws.

We also spent time discussing two resolutions. The first focused on the importance of early socialization and training in animals. While there was broad support for the intent, it was noted that the language was written broadly enough to include wildlife, zoo animals, and other species for which human socialization may not be appropriate. Because of this, the resolution was referred back to the AVMA Board of Directors for refinement, and we expect a revised version—with clearer species-specific guidance—to return to the House in the future.

The second resolution addressed castration in camelid species, an area where the AVMA had not previously had a formal policy. Although policies already exist for other small ruminants and pigs, this prompted an important discussion about anesthesia and pain management. Your Hawaii delegates proposed strengthening the language to strongly recommend anesthesia and pain management for camelid castration. While this amendment did not pass—largely due to concerns about keeping wording consistent across species—we continue to stand behind the recommendation. Camelids are typically castrated later in life, often between 18 and 24 months of age, which raises additional animal welfare considerations. Our plan is to return this summer with a proposal to strengthen the language across all applicable species, improving consistency while still allowing veterinarians appropriate clinical discretion.

We also had two topics for the Veterinary Information Forum. One focused on educational standards for veterinary technicians; no formal action was taken at this time. The second addressed the role of allied organizations within the House of Delegates. In addition to state delegations, the House includes representatives from allied veterinary organizations that bring valuable expertise from specialized areas of practice. These voices are especially important when we’re discussing niche topics, like the aforementioned camelid medicine. There is some concern that changes in membership numbers could affect continued representation for certain groups, so a task force has been created to explore ways to ensure these perspectives remain part of the conversation. The National Association of Federal Veterinarians has been particularly engaged in this discussion, as federal veterinary positions may be impacted by ongoing workforce reductions.

Our next House of Delegates meeting will take place July 9–10, 2026, in Anaheim, California, alongside the AVMA Annual Convention. We’re hoping to bring forward our proposed resolutions at that time. Before then, we’ll be reaching out through a future newsletter to gather your input—so please keep an eye out. If you have experience or insights you’d like to share, we would truly welcome your involvement.

As always, thank you for allowing us to represent Hawaii and keep you connected to what’s happening at the national level.

Carolyn Naun, DVM
AVMA Hawaii Delegate
cnaun@armsofaloha.com

Jenee Odani, DVM, DACVP
AVMA Hawaii Alternate Delegate

Toxoplasma Research Study

Welcome to the new year of 2026! We are getting closer to our Toxoplasma study recruitment. We are still looking for volunteers to participate in our study to get more information about how common and what risk factors are associated with human toxoplasmosis in Hawaii. 

The purpose of the study is to see how common toxoplasmosis is and to evaluate the risk factors associated with toxoplasmosis in people living in Hawaii.

To be eligible to participate in the study, participants need to be between 18-65 years old, are generally healthy and free of severe health conditions (e.g. HIV/AIDs, cancer, immune-mediated diseases, etc), and have lived in Hawaii for at least 6 months or more at the time of study participation.

The study will involve one in-person visit to the John A. Burns School of Medicine campus in Kaka’ako clinics to complete a questionnaire and have ~5-10 mL (1-2 tbsp) of blood drawn from them. The study visit will take 30-45 minutes total. After completion of the study, ALL participants will be compensated with a $5 gift card to either Starbucks or Jamba Juice of their choice!

If you or someone you know is interested in participating in our study, please contact jching21@hawaii.edu.

HDAB Update

Did you know HDOA is now HDAB?
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture is now the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Find them at https://dab.hawaii.gov/. 

Here are some updates from HVMA Oahu representative and Veterinary Medical Officer Raquel Wong: 

Animal Diseases

  • Avian Influenza – HDAB has introduced a dashboard to follow HPAI testing performed by the Division. Dashboard can be found here.
  • Equine Herpes Virus – Multistate outbreak associated with a rodeo event held in Texas in November 2025. Importation of horses impacted with additional conditions for veterinarians to attest horse did not originate from quarantined area. Reference here.

– Diagnosis of EHV is reportable to the Animal Industry Division

– Encourage horse owners/caretakers to practice good hygiene practices,
especially if attending events

Animal Movement

California has change import requirements for dogs entering CA for resale or change of ownership. There are new timeline and document review requirements for this category of movement. Link to CDFA here.

Meet a Board Member – Blaine Ishizu

Blaine Ishizu, DVM
New Graduate Rep

Born and raised on Oʻahu, Dr. Blaine Ishizu serves as the new graduate representative for the Hawaiʻi Veterinary Medical Association (HVMA). He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa before attending Colorado State University, where he completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2022.

Blaine currently practices mixed animal medicine at Veterinary Associates in Waimea, providing comprehensive general and emergency care for dogs, cats, horses, and livestock. He is committed to supporting Hawaiʻi Island’s pets and livestock through compassionate, community-focused veterinary care.

When he is not working, Blaine enjoys spending time with his three German Shepherds—Mana, Icee, and Anna—while exploring the Big Island. He looks forward to meeting everyone at the next conference.

Letter from the President – Winter 2026

Heather Kihara, DVM
HVMA President

Aloha, HVMA ‘Ohana!

The New Year is here, and we wanted to send a friendly reminder that it’s time to renew your membership with the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association. 

Your annual dues directly fund the key activities that benefit you and our community:

  • Advocacy: We support legislative work specifically aimed at advancing your veterinary profession here in Hawaii. There are several bills in the upcoming legislative session that could impact you!
  • Continuing Education (CE): We organize professional development and educational events to support your ongoing learning. We are hoping to include more events throughout the year in addition to the annual conference. 
  • Network: We facilitate collaboration among Hawaii’s veterinary and animal advocacy groups, strengthening your professional connections. 

Please take a moment to ensure your membership is current. Renewing your dues provides the financial resources we need to operate and support our shared professional interests across the islands.

Thank you for being a part of the HVMA ‘Ohana! 

Aloha,
Dr. Heather Kihara
HVMA President 

Public Health Vet Joins Hawaii Department of Health

Ariella Barry, DVM, MPH
VMO, Hawaii Dept of Health

Please join us in welcoming Ariella Barry, DVM, MPH, who is serving as the new Veterinary Medical Officer with the Hawai‘i State Department of Health. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Kansas State University and her Master of Public Health in Global Health from Harvard
University.

Ariella has a strong interest in One Health and disease surveillance, particularly zoonotic diseases with high prevalence in Hawai‘i such as toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, and brucellosis. She is dedicated to strengthening interagency collaboration across the state to enhance public health preparedness and response at the human–animal–environment interface.

Originally from California, Ariella is passionate about advancing public health through collaborative, evidence-based approaches that bridge veterinary and medical sciences. She also works as an Emergency Veterinarian. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and going to the beach with her German Shepherd.

HPAI Detected on Oahu

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 has been detected again on Oahu as the migratory season starts in Hawaii. The October 2025 sample was taken from an ill migratory pintail duck found on the UH Manoa campus which died shortly after intake by the Hawaii Wildlife Center.

H5N1 influenza A is highly infectious among wild birds and poultry, and has been responsible for widespread culling of poultry flocks worldwide. As it has become endemic in the continental United States, HPAI infections have also been reported in other animals including livestock and cats. Human infection risk remains low and human cases have been primarily linked to direct animal exposure. 

Please remain cautious when dealing with wildlife, particularly any sick or dead birds. Remind your clients to not feed wildlife or attract wild birds near pets or backyard flocks, and to avoid touching any sick or dead birds. PPE such as facemasks and gloves should be worn if necessary to handle sick or dead birds.

Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity may be contacted for consultation on any suspected cases: 808-483-7100, Monday to Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 808-837-8092 during non-business hours and holidays, Email: dabic@hawaii.gov.

As seabird fallout season also arrives (Nov-Dec), the public can still help with lost seabirds: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/seabird-fallout-season/#response

HPAI Resources:

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/avian-influenza

Avian Influenza
DOH, DAB, DLNR Investigate Possible Avian Flu Case in Waterfowl

https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/h5n1-hpai

Meet a Board Member – Melissa Shaw

Melissa Shaw, DVM
Kauai County Rep

Since her graduation from veterinary medical school with a focus on aquatic animal medicine; Dr. Shaw has dedicated her career to the wellbeing of animals wild and free. (And to those living with humans too).

During her field time as an aquatic animal veterinarian; Dr. Shaw worked with migrating sea birds, Hawaiian green sea turtles, fishes, and endangered marine mammal species, such as the Hawaiian monk seal (HMS), among others. Playing a pivotal role in the success of the HMS Critter Cam project, and other telemetry studies, Dr. Shaw facilitated further understanding of the habits of the HMS as well as protection of their prey species, foraging/feeding grounds, and pupping habitat.

Upon becoming acutely aware of the severity of the world’s animal overpopulation crisis, Dr. Shaw had also turned her attention and energy towards solving this dilemma, which threatens animal welfare as well as human health.

Compassionately crusading for humane population reduction and health care for those animals, often otherwise uncared for, became the main direction of her career before 2020. She has put together large volume reproductive control clinics or joined others already doing so in Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Samoa, and domestically as well.

When not crusading for animals overseas, Dr. Shaw can be found on Kauai as well as traveling to share her abundant knowledge of holistic medicine.

Dr. Shaw uses rehabilitation and regenerative medical modalities such as: acupuncture, chiropractic, frequency medicine, healing laser, herbs, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, ozone therapy, regenerative injection therapies, deep tissue massage, myofascial release, Rolf method of structural integration, TCVM, and nutrition, to enhance the quality of life of her patients.

Dr. Shaw firmly believes it’s not just about adding years to their lives but adding quality to those years…

In an effort to become even better at this goal, Dr. Shaw is pursuing a Masters degree in TCVM through Chi university in Florida.

In her free time she enjoys helping babies be born peacefully at home, sailing, swimming, scuba, surfing, traveling, learning foreign languages, practicing and teaching yoga as well as dabbling in plant based cooking.

Letter from the President – Fall 2025

Heather Kihara, DVM
HVMA President

Aloha HVMA Members,

I’m looking forward to seeing you at the upcoming HVMA 72nd Annual Conference, taking place from November 5 – 9, 2025 at the Sheraton Princess Kaʻiulani Waikiki Beach Hotel in Honolulu. 

This event is much more than our annual gathering. It’s a time to be inspired, to grow professionally, and to reconnect with each other. As we continue to navigate the evolving landscape of veterinary medicine, our local conference offers:

  • A robust continuing-education program, approved for 117 RACE hours (max 36 for veterinarians, 28 for veterinary technicians).
  • Exceptional opportunities to network with fellow veterinarians, technicians, exhibitors, and thought-leaders in the field.
  • A chance to reflect on our unique island ecosystem and how our practices can continue to serve pets, families and communities across Hawaiʻi with excellence.

In times of change and challenges such as staff shortages, shifting client expectations, and economic unrest, gathering together reminds us that we are stronger together. This conference is our moment to reaffirm our commitment to the profession, exchange knowledge, and leave energized for the year ahead. We believe this conference will leave you equipped with new insights, connected to peers, and inspired to continue the important work you do every day for animals and their people.

Thank you for being part of the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association community. We look forward to seeing you for a week of learning, aloha, and professional rejuvenation.

Aloha,
Dr. Heather Kihara