He explained that canine athletes (the ones you see on ESPN) almost never get surgery because it would end their career.

And he said there are only two things you need to understand to heal your dog. What causes the tear. And why it doesn't heal.

1. The Cause: 
Every dog gets micro tears from normal play. Running, jumping, being a dog. In most of the body these heal overnight. But the knee heals super slow because it has the worst blood supply of any tissue in a dog's body. 

So those micro tears stack. Month after month your dog looks fine on the outside while the ligament is ripping apart on the inside until one day it finally gives out.

2. Why It Doesn't Heal: 

Once the CCL is torn, nothing you give your dog is reaching the knee. No blood flow, no nutrients being delivered. That's why most supplements do nothing.

Rimadyl helps, but it does nothing for recovery. It's a painkiller that keeps your dog from putting all their weight on the good knee. Most people don't know this, that's why 50-70% of dogs overbear and tear the other one.

"Rimadyl protects the second knee," he said. "But you need something that fixes the blood flow so the first one can actually rebuild. That's how they work together."

That's when he told me about Chew Barkies.