8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                         PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 9, 2004

                                  ABAXIS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          California                      000-19720             77-0213001
(State or other jurisdiction of   (Commission File Number)   (I.R.S. Employer)
incorporation or organization)                              Identification No.)

    3240 Whipple Road, Union City, CA                               94587
(Address of principal executive offices)                         (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (510) 675-6500

             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Former name or address, if changes since last report)


Item 11.

      Abaxis, Inc. has decided to change the trustee for the ABAXIS Tax Deferral
Savings Plan. Such a change requires a blackout period as defined in Rule 100 of
Regulation BTR. On January 6, 2004, Abaxis, Inc. received notice from the ABAXIS
Tax Deferral Savings Plan regarding the blackout period. The notice required by
Rule 104 of Regulation BTR was sent to directors and executive officers by
Abaxis, Inc. on January 9, 2004. A copy of the notice is attached as Exhibit
99.1.

Exhibit No.    Description
- -----------    -----------

99.1           Notice to Directors and Executive Officers Dated January 9, 2004.


                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated this 9th day of January, 2004.

                                              Abaxis, Inc.

                                              By: /s/ Alberto Santa Ines
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  Alberto Santa Ines
                                                  Chief Financial Officer


                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit No.    Description
- -----------    -----------

99.1           Notice to Directors and Executive Officers Dated January 9, 2004.

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

[LOGO] ABAXIS

MEMORANDUM

TO:   Members of the Board of Directors and Section 16 Officers

FROM: Zara Thomas, Corporate Secretary

DATE: January 9, 2004

RE:   ABAXIS Tax Deferral Savings Plan Blackout Period Notice

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 306(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
and SEC Regulation BTR, this memorandum is to notify you of a trading
restriction that must be imposed as a result of an impending blackout period in
connection with a planned change in the trustee for the ABAXIS Tax Deferral
Savings Plan (the "Plan"). We will be notifying the Securities and Exchange
Commission regarding this blackout. The equity security subject to the blackout
period is the common stock of Abaxis, Inc., as held as an investment in the
Plan.

Whether or not you participate in the Plan, your ability to exercise and/or
receive stock options or otherwise trade in Abaxis common stock held outside of
the Plan will be restricted during the blackout period. Specifically, you shall
be prohibited from directly or indirectly purchasing, selling, acquiring or
transferring any equity or derivative security that you acquired in connection
with service or employment as a director or employee of Abaxis.

The blackout period will begin on:                   February 9, 2004

The blackout period is expected to end on:           February 20, 2004

You will be notified directly in the event that there are changes to these
dates.

This restriction does not apply to securities of Abaxis that were not acquired
in connection with your service as a director or employee. However, you should
not that there is a rebuttable presumption that any securities sold during a
blackout period are not exempt from the rule (i.e., you will bear the burden of
proving that the securities were not "acquired in connection with service or
employment"). In addition, the SEC's rules provide a limited number of
exemptions from the trading restriction, most notably these include bona fide
gift transactions and purchases or sales under qualified "10b5-1 plans." We
strongly recommend that you consult with us before entering into any transaction
in Abaxis common stock during the blackout period.


Once this blackout period ends, you will be permitted to resume transactions in
Abaxis common stock subject to the requirements of the Abaxis, Inc. Insider
Trading Policy.

Questions regarding the blackout period may be directed to:

Zara Thomas
Corporate Secretary, Abaxis
510-675-6502