WSU’s Dash Dog, who had a second tumor removed in mid-April and has been on chemotherapy since, has a GoFundMe to help him through his health journey and to give back to other animals.
Dash had his first tumor, which was located on his spine, removed in November, said Ande Edlund, Dash’s human.
“Dash’s energy levels have been good, I mean he was down for the first couple of days after his treatment, but I’m surprised at how quickly he has recovered, now he wants to go walking even though he’s got to take it easy,” Edlund said.
So far, the GoFundMe account has raised around $14,320, he said. Within the first 12 hours of the account being up, it raised enough to cover his treatment costs and the extra money will be donated to the 15/10 Foundation, a charity that helps to pay for medical issues some shelter animals face to become more adoptable.
Edlund said as he was lifting Dash out of the car for a doctor’s visit in November, he noticed a small bump on his left chest, which turned out to be another tumor. Dash has gotten a few of his treatments done at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Pullman, and then the rest of his appointments were done in Dash’s hometown of Kirkland.
Dash has been on chemotherapy since December, where he goes in for bloodwork and takes an oral chemotherapy pill every three weeks, Edlund said.
At 13 years old, Dash is fairly old for a golden retriever, he said. Dash’s brother Chase, who joined the Dash Dog family in February 2023 has been keeping the playful energy going since Dash’s treatments.
Dash is using a comfort collar, which is similar to an animal cone in preventing the licking at wounds and stitches, but much more comfortable, Edlund said.
“He’s an older guy so he’s been pretty relaxed, the new guy Chase is full of energy and just wants to play all the time,” he said.
On April 27, Dash visited the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital after not eating anything that day and barely drinking anything. He checked out the same day with 400 mL of subcutaneous fluids and anti-nausea medication.
