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Q: We have recently noticed urine spots on the floor and towels where our 14-year-old spayed mixed-breed dog lies while resting, which is most of the time. This happens both when she is awake and while she is sleeping.

Is our old dog just getting too lazy to go outside or does she have a medical problem causing this leakage from her bladder? The problem has gotten frequent enough for my wife to suggest that maybe it is time to put our old dog to sleep.

While I do not want our dog to destroy our carpet, I still enjoy her companionship, and get really depressed thinking about her being gone. What should we do?

A: Unfortunately, it is common for old dogs to drip urine or have urinary tract incontinence. Of course, this is very annoying to both the dog and its owners, but the dog cannot help itself. Urinary tract incontinence often occurs secondarily to urinary tract infections, physical changes related to aging, and hormonal changes.

Most veterinarians diagnose urinary tract infections by looking at properly collected urine samples through a microscope and by examining bacterial cultures of urine from affected dogs. Fortunately, some urinary tract infections can be treated successfully by giving appropriate antibiotics over a long period of time.

Therefore, the cure for your dog's problem might be as simple as giving antibiotics to her for an extended period of time. Some older female dogs have urinary tract incontinence because of reproductive hormonal imbalances. Many veterinarians treat these dogs with very low doses of replacement reproductive hormones for the duration of the dog's life.

Dribbling of urine in old dogs can be caused by neurological problems, either within the brain or the spinal cord. However, unless the dog has an obvious paralysis or other neurological signs, these problems are often difficult to diagnose. Veterinarians usually diagnose neurological problems if neither infections nor hormonal problems can be identified.

Placing towels under your old dog might be the best and only solution for her incontinence. Punishing old dogs by placing them in crates or away from their families usually does not solve the problem. Some old dogs with incontinence even appear to be embarrassed or upset by their inability to control their bladders.

You should take your dog to your veterinarian as soon as possible for a complete physical examination and advice about how to handle your aging four-footed friend. Putting a dog to sleep simply because she cannot control her bladder seems to be uncaring for a friend who probably provided many hours of unselfish enjoyment and companionship for many years. I hope that your wife will reconsider.

Q: While fishing at a nearby lake our children found an abandoned kitten. We could not find the kitten's mother and are pretty sure that someone dropped her along the road. We think that the kitten is only a few weeks old. She is simply adorable! What should we feed her?

A: You should take your new family member to your veterinarian for a complete physical examination including an examination for internal and external parasites as well as for vaccinations. Your veterinarian can also give you advice regarding the care of your kitten.

Fortunately, there are commercially prepared canned formulas made specifically for orphaned kittens. Your veterinarian can probably get these for you. The directions on the formula's package should be followed exactly.

Most very young kittens need to be fed six to eight times per day. By about 3 to 4 weeks of age, most can be fed some solid foods and lap milk from a saucer. By 7 to 8 weeks of age, most kittens may be fully weaned. Although caring for a young orphaned kitten can be challenging, the rewards are usually great.