This week on Veterinary Ramblings, Julian Hoad and Mike Brampton debate the value of pre-anaesthetic blood tests for young, healthy animals, questioning whether they genuinely improve care or are driven by defensive medicine and rising corporate pressures.

They also discuss increasing veterinary costs, the real financial pressures on practices, and how vets can have more honest conversations with clients, with a dash of trademark humour and a whiskey review along the way.