When it comes to renting a car, there are a lot of things to
think about. For instance, do you want to rent a cheap or luxury
car, do you need a one-way rental, a rental car for traveling in
Europe or even a large passenger van for up to 15 people?
Renting a car can be cheap if you know some tips and tricks for
finding coupons for rental cars.
The best advice for finding a discount on a rental car is to use
the Internet. Many companies have web-only specials, and you
won’t be able to get them without booking online. Searching on
the Internet also allows you to search by price, car type, best
deal and the city in which you need to use the rental.
If you need the rental for less than a week, you should probably
go with one of the major companies, such as Alamo, Hertz or
Avis. These companies ca offer the best deals for short rentals.
Each company has some great programs, and they reward people who
have repeat business. For instance, you can get free days, of a
discount on a five day rental, free child seat rentals, etc.
Avis even has their preferred service that you can enroll in.
This service allows you to have faster reservations, have your
car and rental agreement waiting when you get there, you will
get to have a newer car for your rental, and they will provide
you with directions weather information and help with your
luggage.
Hertz has a points and miles program for frequent users that
gives you a variety of upgrades and specials the more miles and
points you accumulate. You can get free tanks of gas and
upgrades to better cars. Ti doesn’t hurt to ask how to qualify
for these programs, as the requirements are not usually very
stringent. Rental companies you’re your repeat business and will
offer every incentive they can to get you to come back to them
for your next rental.
All of the major rental companies offer discounts for things
like AAA, senior discounts and other discounts. Remember to ask
when booking a rental. They won’t tell you about it, but if you
ask, and you qualify, they have to give it to you.
If you are planning on renting for more than a week, check local
rates. Local companies can often offer better rates for longer
usage. Local companies sometimes have good deals, as well. It is
just a matter of doing your homework.
Finally, be aware of the hidden charges that rental companies
like to throw in. The price for each day’s rental increases
dramatically with each of them. Before you agree to their
insurance, check your own to see if it covers the use of a
rental car. Most of them do. Also, make sure you fill up the
tank before you return it. It can cost big bucks not to. Most of
the time, options that they try to get you to buy are not
anything you actually need.
It goes without saying that your dog needs suitable nutrition to remain healthy. Vets and pet food manufacturers often have differing views on appropriate nutrition for your dog. Although commercial pet food manufacturers are motivated in large part by profits, commercially prepared foods are routinely recommended as part of an adequate, or good, diet for your dog. Sometimes your vet or dog breeder may approve of commercially prepared foods as your dog’s sole diet. Many experts, however, tend to prefer a largely natural diet which for dogs is invariably comprised of meat and bones. Raw is preferable to cooked, as some of the minerals are definitely lost in the cooking process.
The reason why the commercially prepared pet food is so often fed to our dogs, is because, apart from the convenience, it can (depending upon the quality) actually contain many of the nutrients which are essential to your dog’s wellbeing. The key word here is quality. There are in fact very, very few commercial manufacturers which produce nutrient-rich food. And they’re not the brands you find in your supermarket, or even in most pet stores or vetinarians.
Raw bones with a little dry food as well as occasional rice or pasta, and perhaps the odd quality food scrap from your table, will generally contain most of the nutrients which your dog needs.
All dogs must obtain reasonable nutrition from their food to maintain excellent health and performance. The main nutrients required by your dog are water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Vitamin or mineral deficiency in dogs fed a commercially manufactured diet today is not widely publicised. But then again, the slosh and dried formulae which are readily available from your vet or the local supermarket are not your dog’s natural diet. If your dog was left to fend for itself in the wild (assuming it could manage to adapt, that is), would choose raw meat. And one of the reasons why meat, and especially bones, are so good, is the chewing action and the teeth cleaning function which the bones perform. Of course, there are also commercially prepared substitutes which can also effectively clean your dog’s teeth and satisfy his/her need to chew.
A lesser known fact is that to feed your dog only meat (with no bones and no cereals or other carbohydrate source) can cause severe deficiencies: your dog is likely to become lethargic, sick, and even death has been known to occur from an all meat diet. But what about dogs in the wild, I hear you ask? Isn’t meat a dog’s natural diet? Isn’t that what you just said, Brigitte? Well, yes and no: in the wild dogs eat the whole of their prey, not simply muscle meat - they thus obtain vegetable matter from the digestive tract of their prey, and calcium from the bones. As well, wild dogs occasionally, but routinely, add to their diet with plants, fruit and berries.
Most dogs relish some raw fruit and vegetables in their diet, so long as that’s what they’re used to. A dog who has been fed commercially prepared dog food all of its life won’t be used to the taste of fresh food, so may well turn up his/her nose if you introduce such healthy food later in life. But persevere - try hand feeding pieces of carrot or apple to begin with. And if your dog is still very young, all the better. Start as you mean to go on and feed him/her some raw fruit and vegetables from time to time. Your dog’s health will benefit!
(c) 2005, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs
About the author:
Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free special report, as well as weekly tips, information, strategies and resources for a healthier happier dog, click here for your dog health report: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com