Kindred Spirit, Kindred Care, LLC

Shannon Fujimoto Nakaya, DVM

Guiding Principles

• Respect for animals
• Clinical excellence
• Honesty

I work in partnership with my clients as a health care team committed to kind and compassionate care for animal companions.

Practice Philosophy

Kindred Spirit Kindred Care Veterinary Services is founded on respect for animals and the people who truly care about them as non-human family members and kindred spirits. My purpose is to provide veterinary support to people who want to be educated and involved in making health decisions on behalf of their animal companions; who are willing to participate in providing hands on home care for their animal companions; and who are seeking a veterinarian to work in partnership with them to provide kind and compassionate care for their animal companions.

I am a licensed (in Hawaii and Massachusetts) veterinarian who prefers to spend my time caring for patients rather than managing a hospital or a staff. While there is efficiency to diagnosing and treating animals in a hospital environment, and while there are procedures and protocols that should be performed in a hospital, there is also much that can be assessed and treated in the more comforting and familiar surroundings of home. For some patients and conditions, the personalized attention, family support, and familiar environs of home care translates to less stress, a more restful convalescence, and speedier healing and recovery. My services are exclusively home care based.

My approach to patient care is integrative (meaning that I will incorporate both conventional and alternative therapies based on safety and efficacy), and customized (meaning that each patient is treated as a unique individual). Conventional Western medicine has value; it did not become the prevalent system of health care in this country purely by chance. Nevertheless, there are conditions that Western medicine cannot explain, cure, or even manage well. As practitioners, we do injustice to patients by not being honest about the limitations of our trade. In order to achieve the least harmful and most effective therapy for each patient based on his or her individual condition and circumstances, I encourage clients to keep an open and sound mind to all forms of healing. I appreciate clients who want to be informed and involved in deciding their pet's care.

While most veterinarians in private practice keep records for several thousand patients, I maintain a much smaller client base, which allows me to be more familiar, attentive, and responsive to each of the patients that I do take on. I like being able to develop and support customized and creative health care solutions that work for patients with unique circumstances. I try to select clients and patients who will benefit from and appreciate the type of service that I offer.

Kindred Spirit Kindred Care Veterinary Services is not for everyone. Not having a hospital means that I am not able to offer appropriate care for emergencies requiring immediate attention, hospitalization, anesthesia, or surgery. There are other practices that can accommodate such cases. I aim to minimize acute, life-threatening emergencies in my patients through healthy life-style, early detection, and prudent monitoring.

Not having a hospital also means that I refer patients to other veterinary hospitals for procedures such as x-rays, ultrasound, and surgery. I do my utmost to insure continuity of case management and patient care in these situations. I provide timely and thorough medical records and referral letters. I am conscientious about being accessible to other veterinarians about my patients. I have on occasion accompanied patients to their referral appointments. Throughout any referral, I try to stay abreast of what is happening so that there will be continuity when the patient returns to my care.

I maintain minimal inventory, instead working through local or online pharmacies for supplies as they are needed. I work with companies that cater to my patient needs and ship quickly. I try to keep basics on hand to initiate therapy sooner if necessary.

I mostly work independently. I have no managers or liaisons. I occasionally arrange for an assistant to help with certain procedures. Working alone fosters familiarity, consistency, and continuity in communication and care between you, me, and the patient. I try to return all phone calls in a timely manner and respond to all patient needs as if the pet were my own. I do need to maintain balance in my own life and pace myself in order to be an effective healer. As such, I encourage clients to adhere to standard business hours -- Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm -- or at least typical waking hours whenever possible.

Payment is appreciated at the time of service.