While I believe education and practicals are essential in learning the skills of one's trade, I also feel it necessary to let the owner make that decision. To most pet owners, a pet is a part of the family. As with any family member there should be consent to let an unlicensed, and on most levels, lesser skilled practitioner treat the patient.  I love my pets a great deal and if I am at a time when my pets need medical care, I need to make the decision on whether or not a student would be involved. If the case is a critical case then pet owners will prefer the most skilled and tenured veterinarian possible to ensure the best outcome possible. If the cases are minor, then giving the pet owner the right to allow a student is a viable option. I recently had to seek the services of VA Tech Vet School for IMHA in my dog. I spent thousands in care costs for him and needed to know he was getting the best chances he could get. There were students involved in his case because it was a rare and serious disease. VA Tech did disclose to me the involvement of students and I am grateful for the knowledge and the ability to ask for more skill and tenure. My dog did not survive the illness, but I would have been more devastated and angry to learn after the fact that he had only been treated by students who may have not had the knowledge to save him. To avoid further devastation when losses do occur, the insult to injury of wondering if anything more could have been done is too much to bear. Please let the owners' decide the level of care. It is the more ethical route and sometimes the only hope a pet parent can cling to.