Has anyone else noticed how many times you hear that a large dog has torn his ACL requiring thousands of dollars in surgery? What is going on - are dogs being bred with weaker knees or muscles, not enough exercise? How can I prevent this from happening to my lab? It seems I hear of this all the time now.

First, take heart.
There is a new ACL surgery that is much more effective than the old surgery, AND is less expensive.

Second, it's because dogs are being bred poorly.
Too many breeders are breeding dogs larger than they are supposed to be (notorious in the Labs these days, and contributes to the increase in torn ACLs).
As a good example, compare a field-bred lab to a show-bred lab. The difference in size is astronomical.

And frankly, a lot of people let their dogs get too fat.

I'm not saying every torn ACL was caused by either of these factors, but it's part of why you hear about it more often. There are always going to be dogs, no matter what you do, who tear an ACL. Just like humans.

But it's mostly caused by bad breeding, and owners who don't keep their dogs physically fit.

Neutered and spayed dogs are 4x more likely to have this happen.

Primary cause, IMO, is this coupled w/the fact that most dogs are weekend warriors, ie, get no exercise during the week and too much on weekends. Ligaments are not kept in shape. Plus, I am not exaggerating when I say that 90% of pets I see are fat.

Just yesterday I found out my neighbor's Beagle, who I have been waiting for to die, is only 3. I swore the dog was ancient and I wouldn't have to listen to it much longer. Nope. The dog is 3. I wondered aloud why I thought she was old, maybe because she's heavy, and my neighbor exclaimed "Oh, no! She's not fat at all. She's in great shape for a Beagle!" Um, yeah. What shape is that? Potato? No wonder the woman feeds my Friesian when I'm not home if she sees he is out of food. God knows, all animals must have a full bowl of food in front of them at all times. But I digress...

Classic scenario...happens all the time, and is why we hear so many more injuries than in the old days when dogs ate table scraps and ran around all day every day.

Ditto, on the pet 'size' issue. I had to take my female to the after hours ER vet a couple of years ago & the vet spent more time talking about my dog's 'incredible condition' then she did about the issue that she was there for. Which ended up not being a big deal, thank goodness. She asked me what I did with her that had her in such wonderful shape. I just smiled & said: I REALLY work my dogs 2x or more daily & they get alot of time out in the yard when I am home. She said most of the dogs that she sees are lucky if they get a walk a few times a week, nevermind daily. My regular vet always says it is so nice to see well conditioned dogs. She says that she constantly is preaching to owners about proper feeding & exercise for thier pets. Too bad many owners equate lots of food with love for their pets.

Jenni, good thing that you know your neighbor is feeding you horse behind you back so you can adjust accordingly when YOU feed. I had a problem with a barn owner years ago where I was boarding my horse that used to have a very heavy hand with the hay & grain no matter what I said. It was very annoying since I did x-country with him & needed to keep him in good shape & on the thinner side. How nice that you have a Friesian. They are beautiful. I loved the one that was in the movie 'Lady Hawk' one of my favorite movies.

I get the same thing at the Vet.
The techs especially are amazed at her trim physique, clean ears and teeth, and healthy coat.

It all comes down to feeding the right foods, in the right amounts, and giving the dog the right sorts of exercise, in the right amounts.

If you and your dog aren't getting out of breath twice a day, you're probably both in lousy condition.

I'll chime in here and pass on one thing that I was told by both a GP vet and an Ortho surgeon:

Extremely soft, spongy surfaces, like sand, can contribute to torn ACLs. Running and leaping on this kind of surface can cause the knee to torque, damaging and rupturing the ACL. Extremely hard surfaces aren't great, either.

My Lab blew both ACLs last fall. His HD certainly points to bad genes. However, he is lean, extremely muscular, and physically fit. He was exercised rigorously on very soft, sandy soil and, in fact, blew both ligaments at the same time in the boggiest part of the yard.

I noticed when I got my cousin's dog at my house how winded he was compared to my dogs after less exercise. Mine might pant a bit after a good chuck-it session, but this poor thing (who isn't fat at all and only 4) was physically exhausted. I might not have thought anything of it b/c it was very hot out, had I not had another dog to compare him to. He is very drivey, so he didn't show any signs of slowing down, but while Qira was only slightly panting, he was panting very hard, very fast, and very loudly, and lying down in between fetches. People don't realize it until they have something to compare it too, in their defense.

Incidentally, Ann, same neighbor's horses breathe so hard after one lap around the pasture that I can hear them in my kitchen. She did actually ask me one day if I thought that was normal. My only reply was that mine don't do it. I left it up to her to do the math. They are half the age of my goofball TWH gelding who runs everywhere, all the time and never gets out of breath.

Thankfully, she only gave my little yearling some hay. I would kill someone for giving him processed pelleted crap w/out my permission. I came home to him standing in about 6" of hay and had to laugh. Maybe she thought b/c of the feathering on his feet that he's a Clydesdale.

Back to the topic...it IS all about proper amounts of food and conditioning, whether dog or horse or human. People judge their animals based on others, and haven't a clue what a dog is supposed to look like (or a horse for that matter). Seeing just the slightest hint of ribs is not a cause for calling the authorities. I truly, truly wonder if people are looking at the same animal as I am sometimes when they talk about their condition.

Sarah, I would be willing to bet that True's knees were working harder than average due to his HD, also, since body parts compensate for weakness in another area.

 Quote: Jenni Williams

Sarah, I would be willing to bet that True's knees were working harder than average due to his HD, also, since body parts compensate for weakness in another area.

No doubt. But the caution I received about super soft surfaces is worth mentioning only because a lot of people think it's a better, safer alternative to hard tarmac. That isn't necessarily the case.

Yep. Foot sinks in, dog twists body, foot stays planted, knee gets twisted.