ferret limping

Question
I went to spend some time with my ferrets to find one of my babies limping. She was actually holding the one paw up and it really worried and concerned me. I did touch it ever so lightly and she did not react at all. I can only guess she may have falled from a 2 to 2.5 foot climber they have, as there is really no other way I can thing of that may have caused the
damage. My question is   How do we know if something is actually broken or sprained? I am hoping it is just a sprain and I most certainly will be watching over her the whole day. She is currently sleeping and in a quite room, but with the other ferrets still. We have one male ferret that seems very protective if any of them seem to be sick or not well and of course, he is snuggled with her while she sleeps. Is there really anyway to determine a sprain or break quickly enough? Is there anything I can do to give her comfort until I can get her to the vet? Please let me know if there is any help or advice you can offer. I am obviously a little emotional about this right now, but I love them very much and will be looking to immediately look at the climber and find a way to make it safer for them. Thank you for your time and understanding, Irene

Answer
Good morning Irene,

I would say that if she is still limping and holding her paw up today that she should go to the vet. If it is broken it would most likely be swollen and painful to touch.

Good luck and I hope she's okay.

Sincerely,
Adrienne Mortimer