Our pug, Lola, has been getting rather portly these days. Last week my husband and I had "the chat" about treat reduction, since we both have a bad habit of giving her a nibble of whatever we might be eating, be it toast, cheese, etc.

Obviously we want her to be healthy and that is our reasoning behind our new routine; but while wondering if there were any healthy substitutions this was brought to my attention. I had read many times that chocolate was bad for dogs, but after seeing this Today show episode I learned of some new items to look out for. Along with this list is a grouping of allowed items.

I think I asked this before, but should pet food stories be on Slashfood? I've decided yes, because after all, pets are people too. Besides, a recent AOL poll showed that 36% of Slashfood readers are dogs.

Diamond Pet Foods has agreed to pay $3.1 million to pet owners whose dogs died or got sick from eating tained dog food last year. The fund will be set up to "reimburse pet owners for the loss of their dog, veterinarian bills, and the cost of any unreturned contaminated food."

The company says it did nothing illiegal, but does say that employees at their Gaston, SC plant didn't follow proper testing procedures for the dog food.

Here's the latest battle in the "U.S. said/China said" food wars.

China has impounded shipments of apricots and orange pulp because of "excessive bacteria and mold." According to this article, some believe that this is in retaliation for the various problems the U.S. says it has been having with food and other products imported from China in the past several months. China warns that rules and guidelines about food from the U.S. could be tightened.

It's not only food that the U.S. has complained about. It is also faulty tires, unsafe fake toothpaste, lead paint in toys, and that whole nasty business with pet food.

With all of the recent pet food scares, a lot of dog and cat owners have been gun shy about going back to their favorite (or, should I say, their pet's favorite!) brand. But have you ever thought about actually cooking for your dog?

By sheer coincidence, I was watching a Will & Grace episode last night where they got a dog and Will was actually cooking fancy dog food for the puppy. But a lot of people do it in the real world too, because pets are like a member of the family. There's even a beer for dogs!

You have to make sure you're using ingredients that are safe for dogs and that it actually fits into their diet. Here's a link to several recipes, including one for the Rrrruvery Rrrrisotto recipe mentioned in the article. It's probably good to check with your vet too.

• Need something to feed your pet? How about a French Grilled Sandwich?
• Rachael is looking for your the biggest goofs you've made in the kitchen.
• The Burger of the Month is the Sloppy Joaquin, which sounds slightly, um, dirty to me.
• Musician Moby is a vegetarian.
• Where can you find a good hot dog in Detroit?
• This month's recipes: lots of stuff made with eggs, including Poached Eggs with Mushroom Home Fries, Egg, Goat Cheese and Tomato Toasts, and an Alsace and Lorraine Omelet. More recipes: Great Grandma's Baked Chicken, Chilled Raspberry Cream Pie, Pomegranate Coolers, and an easy recipe for a Zucchini-Gruyere Tart.

Meaty Chunks with added marrow bone anyone? You pet food could be healthier than a lot of fast food according to  NWQ ATUDY. Tins of cat and dog food are not only good for their health but yours as well, as they contain less fat, salt and sugar levels than fast food.

Experts compared 30 different human meals with 15 readily available pet foods and declared that Gourmet Gold cat food, with 2.9 grams of fat per 100 grams, was eight times less fatty than pieces of Kentucky Fried Chicken with 23.2 grams of fat per 100 grams. Fat levels were also lower when compared to a McDonald’s Big Mac and a Pizza Hut meal.

It is a UK study that concluded that pet food was healthier under the Food Standards Agency’s new “traffic light” labelling scheme, than most of the food people eat. Except me - as I don't eat KFC/McDonalds/Pizza Hut meals - being a food snob and all.

As consumers become more discerning in their tastes, particularly with regard to food, they are just as likely to get a craving for foie gras with dinner as they are to want spaghetti and meatballs. And people are projecting their tastes onto their pets - because if they want the foie gras, why shouldn't their beloved dog have some, too? People button some dogs into tiny clothes and carry them around as though they were children. The Wall Street Journal points out that the humanization of pets is what is driving the upswing in the number of gourmet and premium pet foods that are hitting the market.

New lines of pet foods include gourmet, pre-prepared "stews" and pet condiments, like IAMS Savory Sauce, which comes in flavors like Roasted Turkey and Pot Roast. These products are marketed as ways to spoil your pet, though the companies are undoubtedly hoping that they will be used daily, or at all meal times. The people who tested the food for the company reported that they were "like people food... It's what [they] would give their own [families]." People don't like the idea of feeding seemingly unappetizing food to their pets, but love it when the products sound like things they would want to eat. And, of course, the pets love it. Unfortunately, the trend is also driving up the number of obese pets.

Pet food companies assure consumers that the new foods can be healthy, but vets say that not only are most house pets not active enough to warrant extra calories, but that they have no significant nutritional benefit over ordinary dog foods. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, obesity affects 25-45 percent of pets.

In the world of food trends, there are many shooting stars. Some of them last and some fade quickly, but the most noticeable ones are those that seem to appear out of nowhere are very suddenly everywhere. Yogurt is not counted amongst the beacons that are this year's food trends, but it is becoming both more popular and more prevalent day by day. In fact, consumption of yogurt has more than doubled in the past two decades, and more than 20% of people eat it at least twice a week. According to USA Today, it looks like consumption could hit a new high with a slew of new yogurt products hitting the market.

The heath benefits are being incorporated into everything from cereals to "fresh yogurt" toothpaste. Fast food restaurants already have some yogurts on their menus, but McDonalds is planning to add drinkable yogurt, as well. It's even working its way into pet foods. Yogurt is an incredibly versatile product with a unique flavor and properties similar to many other dairy products, from cream and milk to cheese. It can add moisture to baked goods, richness to soups and it makes and outstanding base for dips. It doesn't look as though there is anything to hold yogurt back from becoming one of the most used and enjoyed products of, at the very least, the next year.