Choice claims that many Australian vets are ignoring guidelines and over-vaccinating pets, which can have grave consequences for the pets not to mention your hip pocket.

Elizabeth Hart has been campaigning against unnecessary and possibly harmful pet vaccinations for the past two years.

She believes it was an adverse reaction to a vaccination that forced her dog Sasha to be put down.

"Vaccines should not be given needlessly," World Small Animal Veterinary Association guidelines state. "We should aim to reduce the vaccine load on individual animals in order to minimise the potential for adverse reactions to vaccine products."

Last year the Australian Veterinary Association changed its guidelines to say adult cats and dogs should be given vaccines no more frequently than every three years.

But many pet owners, like Hart, would not be aware of the updates to veterinary practice and continue to have their pets vaccinated annually. This could be harmful to your pets' health and also your bank account, with the costs involved in visiting your vet adding up quickly.

A recent industry survey of veterinarians showed that 90 percent of vets believe vaccinations are the most important contributor to their profits which could explain why consumers have not been made aware of the risk of over-vaccinating until now.

Your say: How frequently do you have your pet vaccinated? Would you prefer to have your pet vaccinated each year regardless of guidelines? Share your stories with us below.