Informed consent in equine dentistry should serve three fundamental objectives: ensuring patient safety, providing legal security for practitioners, and establishing a robust trust-based partnership with the owner. Regulatory approaches differ internationally not only in veterinary medicine1,2 but also in human medicine. Regarding timing, human medicine typically requires a minimum 24-hour interval between consent discussion and intervention; veterinary standards similarly recommend advance consultation where feasible, though emergency situations permit immediate treatment.
The literature on owner informed consent in veterinary medicine is naturally less extensive than its human medicine counterpart. Publications address ethical frameworks3,4, legal considerations4, practical implementation challenges5-7 and communication dynamics8-10. The unique relationship in veterinary medicine-involving veterinarian, animal patient, and owner-creates distinct challenges for informed consent. A central challenge lies in balancing adequate risk disclosure with client reassurance, while following national legislation and good practice. Overly detailed enumeration of rare complications may induce unnecessary anxiety, potentially deterring owners from pursuing medically indicated treatments. Conversely, insufficient disclosure exposes practitioners to liability and compromises client autonomy. Optimal practice therefore demands tailored communication that conveys material risks proportionate to severity and likelihood, whilst maintaining therapeutic alliance and supporting informed decision-making without undue alarm. Key themes emerging from the literature include the tension between owner autonomy and animal welfare3,4,11, the importance of readable and comprehensible consent materials6,7, the central role of communication in effective consent processes8-10, and the need for continued development of best practices, particularly in research contexts12,13
References
1 Bemmann K, Brandt K, Feige K, K. Fey BO, Schüle E, Stadtbäumer G. Aufklärungspflicht-Leitfaden. GPM – FACHINFORMATION. 2022;
2 RCVS. Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons.
3 Ashall V, Millar K, Hobson-West P. Informed Consent in Veterinary Medicine: Ethical Implications for the Profession and the Animal ‘Patient’. Food Ethics. 2017;1(3):247–258. doi:10.1007/s41055-017-0016-2
4 Gray C, Fox M, Hobson-West P. Reconciling Autonomy and Beneficence in Treatment Decision-Making for Companion Animal Patients. Liverpool Law Review. 2018;39(1-2):47–69. doi:10.1007/s10991-018-9211-4
5 Fettman MJ, Rollin BE. Modern Elements of Informed Consent for General Veterinary Practitioners. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2002;221(10):1386–1393. doi:10.2460/javma.2002.221.1386
6 Sheats MK, Royal KD, Kedrowicz AA. Using Readability Software to Enhance the Health Literacy of Equine Veterinary Clients: An Analysis of 17 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Newsletter and Website Articles. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2018;51(4):552–555. doi:10.1111/evj.13042
7 Sobolewski J, Bryan JN, Duval DL, et al. Readability of Consent Forms in Veterinary Clinical Research. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2019;33(2):350–355. doi:10.1111/jvim.15462
8 Brown B. The Dimensions of Pet-Owner Loyalty and the Relationship With Communication, Trust, Commitment and Perceived Value. Veterinary Sciences. 2018;5(4):95. doi:10.3390/vetsci5040095
9 Fowler H, Irimia B, Ramirez V, Meischke H, Rabinowitz P. Pet Owners’ Perceptions of Veterinary Safety Practices. Vet Rec. 2018;183(19):594–594. doi:10.1136/vr.104624
10 Küper AM, Merle R. Being Nice Is Not Enough-Exploring Relationship-Centered Veterinary Care With Structural Equation Modeling. A Quantitative Study on German Pet Owners’ Perception. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2019;6doi:10.3389/fvets.2019.00056
11 Springer S, Sandøe P, Lund TB, Grimm H. “Patients’ Interests First, but … ”–Austrian Veterinarians’ Attitudes to Moral Challenges in Modern Small Animal Practice. Animals. 2019;9(5):241. doi:10.3390/ani9050241
12 Page R, Baneux P, Vail DM, et al. Conduct, Oversight, and Ethical Considerations of Clinical Trials in Companion Animals With Cancer: Report of a Workshop on Best Practice Recommendations. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2016;30(2):527–535. doi:10.1111/jvim.13916
13 Frederick CE. Obtaining Informed Consent in Veterinary Clinical Trials Mini Review. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2024;11doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1426014
