How Do You Know If Your Dogs Paw Is Sprained Or Broken?

My dog went swimming in lake with lots of rocks....also lots of grass by lake....started limping and next day, today, his paw is swollen and hot.....his toenails protrude far beyond his fur compared to the other paw.... Its his front paw and he just is laying low and licking it.... For an active labrador who follows me wherever i go this is a shocker ....no vet listed for zip code l3488...i put his paw in cold water with an anticeptic and he licks it off but doesn't object to having it in water....much more sensitive today then yesterday afternoon when it happened....i'll get him to a vet by monday but being a holiday weekend i can't find anyone. ...any pain med relief i can give him...he's on deramax for artritis...he's a great rescued dog as is his sister or dtr.....we took them both as they were found together ...thanks

I would suggest to try and gently move up and down, if your dog yelps or pulls away it might be sprained or broken. If it swollen it is most likely that it is broken but you should take him to the vet asap so that the vet may take an x-ray to be sure if it is broken. If you are not able to get your dog to a vet until monday I would suggest that you keep your dog of its paw the best that you can, so that if it is broken it won't get more damaged. Good luck, hope your dog gets better.