Glucosamine I never saw any change with when I had another dog with back problems. I wouldn't say to not use it tho. Tumeric is a painkiller for dogs. I gave that to my 21 year old for pain. I give my puppy flaxseed oil pills before bed and she chews less the next day, everytime. If you have a dog that is declining for cancer, caraway seeds are a miracle. Boots had stopped eating, walking and I was going to put her down. I read pet forums and saw a lot about caraway seeds. It did take almost 2 weeks to see the difference. She ate everything, she ate more than double of dog food since, she was walking again, looked alert. Honestly I always had a hard time giving her pills, because she was so smart she would eating everything but the pills, she must have known they were helping because everyday, she was waiting in the kitchen, where I would give her pills. She ate them everytime, and wanted them. I also gave her ginko boloba everyday because she was dizzy all the time. I think she had a stroke and her head was permanetly tilted for months, that went away with supplements. Caraway seeds keep cancer cells from growing and treats them too. When I would miss days of giving boots caraway seeds, for about a week tumors were on her neck and eye, 3 days after the seeds again, they went away and never came back as I kept her on those. All you have to do is put peanut butter in a spoon with pills, they will eat it. If they won't just open their mouth, and put the pills and peanut butter in their mouths. Niacin I gave all my dogs, if they ate something toxic or chewed plastic. It's kinda funny to see them after you give them it. All these things I've used for years, no problems. Black charcoal I used a few times, like with yohimbine. But I wouldn't use it everyday, like all the others. Any brand for people is what I've always used, nothing expensive. Cayenne pepper is good for their heart too.