Dr. Ashley Nakaoka is a graduate of Punahou School. She graduated from the University of Hawaii with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Language and Literature, and Washington State University with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. During veterinary school, Dr. Nakaoka became interested in Integrative Medicine, especially Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) and rehabilitation. After veterinary school, she interned for a year at a primarily-ER veterinary specialty center in California, but missed being able to learn and apply TCVM and returned home to general practice.
Dr. Nakaoka has received training in small animal acupuncture and veterinary food therapy through Chi University, and in March 2024, received certification for canine rehabilitation. Her first rehab patient and then foster failure was a Swimmer’s Syndrome kitten who couldn’t walk, and she jokingly laments that his legs are too fixed because he is naughty and runs around too much. Dr. Nakaoka is passionate about learning more about TCVM to provide additional treatment options to her patients, and optimize their care.
When Dr. Nakaoka is out of the office, she enjoys going to farmers markets, cooking, exercising and spending time with her husband and their two fur-babies, a cat and dog named Sheldon and Scooby, named after the characters from the Big Bang Theory and Scooby-Doo. She also enjoys traveling, but her favorite destination is still Japan!