Pet owners who have their animals regularly vaccinated may be killing them with kindness, according to a British survey.
Research by Canine Health Concern shows higher than normal levels of distemper, allergic reactions, epilepsy and even brain damage in dogs which have annual injections.
The survey involving 4,000 dog owners found that of those dogs which became ill, two-thirds did so within three months of having a vaccination.
Ms Catherine O'Driscoll, the group's founding member, began her research after losing her three healthy dogs after their regular booster injections. These contain a number of vaccines to combat different diseases, some of which are no longer a major threat to pets in the UK, she said. An earlier survey by Ms O'Driscoll, involving more than 2,000 dogs, convinced her that vaccines could cause long-term damage.
She tells tonight's World in Action on ITV: "We have phone calls every day from people crying and sobbing or asking how they can get help for their dog which has epilepsy or cancer. Sometimes it takes me an hour to open the post from people concerned about their dogs, cats or horses who are ill and suspect the vaccines."
However, Mr Ted Chandler, president of the British Veterinary Association, tells the programme he believes the risk is minimal. "The level of reactions we get to vaccines is incredibly small," he says. "We are talking about something in the region of 00.01 per cent, one in many thousands."
People should not be scared or worried about side-effects of vaccines on the pets, he adds.
On the same programme, a leading British veterinary scientist says that feeding pets processed foods can also lead to health problems.
Many vets recommend a diet of tinned and dried processed foods, a business worth £1.5 billion sterling in the UK each year.
Ms Sue Penman, founding president of the British Veterinary Dental Association, says it can cause huge problems.
She tells the programme: "What we're tending to find now in the developed world where people and their pets are eating a processed food diet is that there's a disgusting increase in cancer, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis - all those things that we describe as degenerative diseases."
World in Action also reveals the ingredients which, it is claimed, have been used in some pet foods made in Britain. Ground-up teeth, straw, feathers, animal heads complete with ear tags, feet and bones have found their way into British pet foods, according to their evidence.