hiStory & health: AFFENPINSCHERS
by Sheila wymore
A n old breed, German in origin, the Affenpinscher was developed to rid the household of rodents. Since those rodents could be intimi- dating in size to a Toy dog, the breed possesses some Terrier-like traits and is game, alert, inquisitive and fearless toward any aggressor. While they can become vehemently excited when threatened or attacked, for the most part Affens are intelligent and delight- fully mischievous companions. Thanks to years of diligence on the part of dedicated breeders and under the watchful eye of the Affenpinscher Club of America, the Affen has remained a relatively healthy breed. While not truly considered a “rare” breed, the ranking of 136th in popularity as per the 2015 AKC registration results has helped keep the breed relatively low in the public profile and outside the sights of puppy mills and unscrupulous breed- ers. As we all know, popularity can be the kiss of death to breed health. When bred to the standard, the Affen will be a sturdy, compact dog with medium bone, not delicate in any way. The breed maintains its Toy stature by staying within the recommended 9 ½ " to 11 ½ " height at the withers. This desire for sturdiness has kept the majority of Affens from suffering the broken bones that afflict many other Toy breeds. Of course, care must be taken to prevent a puppy from taking unnecessary ‘leaps of faith’ until its bones and joints are fully mature and able to handle per- cussive shocks due to jumping from high places. Miniaturizing through selective breeding in all Toy breeds has not come without attendant problems. Moder- ately healthy over all, the Affenpinscher can be prone to some of the same prob- lems evidenced in other Toys such as luxating patellas, hip dysplasia, Legg- Calve-Perthes, heart anomalies, dental
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problems and the ever-present repro- ductive problems. Given their small size and often immune and genetic sensitiv- ity, Toy breeds evidence more severe reactions to various chemicals, drugs and vaccinations. Never give multiple vaccinations at once to any Toy breeds, separating vaccinations out by at least 3 weeks so as to avoid the increased risk of immune reactions. This caution applies to the Affen as well. Luxating patellas are perhaps the most debilitating of the breed’s afflic- tions, in their severe form causing lameness that effects the breed-specific jaunty gait, keeps them from dancing on their hind legs (a monkey-like trait for which they are known) and prohib- its their agile jumping from floors to any higher horizontal surfaces. The more severe luxations will develop arthritis as the stressed joint ages.
Hip dysplasia is also of concern although the lighter weight and bone structure of this Toy breed help prevent HD from becoming as debilitating in early onset as in the larger breeds. In lat- er life, however, the abnormally devel- oped hip joint causes cartilage deterio- ration, bone spurs and the erosion of the femur head, decreasing the joint’s range of motion. Nerve endings in the subchondral bone are exposed result- ing in pain. The end result is arthritis in varying degrees. X-raying all breed- ing stock and carefully pairing matings will help keep this disease at low pen- etrance in the breed. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is due to the aseptic death of the head of the femur. This causes wearing and pro- motes arthritic changes. It is congenital with no known cure. The accompany- ing pain and arthritic changes can be
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