> Which part of a horse can be examined to determine its approximate age?And the answer: teeth. Photo courtesy: Funnyjunk.Traditionally, the age of a young horse can bedetermined by which teeth are present and which ones the horse has lost. Afterthat, the age is determined by how much the teeth have worn down, makingaccurate age estimation relatively easy up until the age of 9 or 10.Like horses, veterinarians are able to estimate the ages of dogs and cats bylooking at their teeth. At one month of age, puppies' milk teeth start pushingthrough the gums, while permanent canine teeth come in around 5 months. The lastpermanent teeth to come in are the back molars, which arrive between 5 and 7months. After that, vets can look to the wear of the teeth to determine age: thesmoother the tooth, the older the dog. This same method of study applies tocats, dogs, farm animals, and many other mammals. While hair, fur, and skin can also be good indicators of the age of an animal,they're not always the most reliable sources of information. Some animals aregenetically prone to premature greying, and others can develop vision problemsindependent of age. Though imperfect and often unspecific, teeth are one of thefew consistent and proven methods of determining age in an animal. Check out this article[https://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/media/file/wibidentifytheagefinal.pdf] to learn more about age identification in animals.