There is nothing worse than a fractured bone in any part of your body, and your dog would tell you the same thing if you could ask them and they could respond! Identifying fractures in your dog straight away is important so that treatment can begin immediately, which is important for a good prognosis with any fracture.
Symptoms
There are some very common signs that your dog has a fracture. While each dog will respond differently to a fracture, there are some things that you can look for that will help you determine if your dog has suffered a broken bone or not. The first thing to think about is if the dog has suffered any trauma in the area in which they appear to be suffering. Did they fall from a high surface? Get hit by a car? These are common ways in which dogs break bones.
If your dog has a broken bone you may notice swelling in the area where there is a break, broken skin, and you may even be able to feel or see the broken bone if it is a compound fracture. You may also notice that your dog does not want you to touch the area of the body where the broken bone is, or they may lick or sniff at the area constantly. Other times the dog will not want to put any weight on that area of the body and they my limp or walk awkwardly to try to make up for the bone that is hurting them.
You may also notice that your dog does not want to eat and simply does not want to move much when they have a broken bone. This is how the dog protects itself from hurting himself anymore or experiencing any more discomfort. The dog may whine, cry, or just keep to him or herself trying to get the pain under control. Your dog may be aggressive toward other dogs because he or she doesnt feel well.
Treatment
The only real way to know if your dog has a fracture is to visit your vet. A vet can help determine where the break is and how bad it is. A vet will also be able to determine if there is any other internal damage and how to best heal the break. Its always a better idea to take your dog to the vet to be sure that there is not a break, because if you wait to long there could be little to nothing that the vet can do about a break and the complications that often arise as a result of a break.