Indeed, I took it as a given that any veterinarian who is a true professional should want to obtain the owner's informed consent to every significant risk attending any therapy. A professional doesn't just mentally conclude, "Ah well, I'll decide whether Joe's cat requires euthanasia" without involving Joe. A professional makes sure that Joe understands the risks and benefits of the treatment, so that Joe can decide on behalf of his charge.

There is no doubt that one of the single largest risks of any procedure--whether performed on humans by MDs or on our furry friends by DVMs--is the experience of the clinician undertaking the procedure. Accordingly, the owner's consent to a student performing a procedure should be obtained so that the owner can weigh the complexity of the procedure against the training of the student and make an informed decision on behalf of his furry responsibility.

Failing to obtain owner consent to such a basic decision is simply unprofessional.