What happens if a dog’s broken bone is not stabilized?
Expert Answer
If a dog’s fracture is not properly stabilized, the broken ends may not align and heal correctly, hurting limb function and appearance and causing long-term lameness or dysfunction. Constant movement at the break also blocks normal healing and lengthens recovery; if the dog keeps moving, it can worsen the injury with soft-tissue damage and more bone fragments, complicating treatment.
Poor healing may also lead to infection and even osteomyelitis.
A broken bone left unstabilized heals wrong or not at all, mine's untreated fracture in a rescue was crooked and painful, so I'd get an x-ray and a cast or pin fast. Moving it around makes it worse and can damage nerves, so limit motion and get to a vet. Don't splint it yourself roughly, just support and rush, proper alignment now saves him a lifetime of limp.