For the past two months, the Pearl River County SPCA has housed and treated a canine who’s now ready for a new home.

Tritan is the name of a six-month-old pitbull mix suffering from a health condition known as megaesophagus, which causes throat muscles to lose their tone resulting in their inability to move food into the stomach properly, according to AKC Canine Health Foundation.

PRC SPCA Director Judy Wheaton said Tritan was brought into the shelter as a stray and suffered severe malnutrition.

“When we took him to the vet, they told us that he had the condition, which was genetic for him, so we can’t really do much except to treat it as best as possible,” Wheaton said.

While there’s no cure for megaesophagus, lifestyle changes can help canines suffering from the condition live a normal life, according to the foundation.

Since his diagnosis, Tritan has a strict feeding schedule, which involves eating three times a day and digesting gelatin cubes in place of water.

Wheaton said staff members take turns feeding Tritan on his bailey chair. She credits the chair for Tritan’s recovery.

Recently, the shelter received a donated bailey chair from baileychairfordogs.com. The chair allows dogs to rest in a vertical seating position during feeding time.

Tritan sits inside the chair for 30 minutes during his meals, Wheaton said.

“The chair puts a dog in a position where gravity does the work and pushes the food down,” Wheaton said.

In the past couple of weeks, Tritan has gained six pounds and now weighs around 26 pounds.

“He’s a super smart little dog and he does great with other animals,” Wheaton said. “We’re looking to find him a home.”

Tritan is up for adoption so the shelter is looking for an owner or a foster family who can provide a home for him, Wheaton said.

For more information, contact the PRC SPCA at (601) 798-8000. The shelter is located at 1700 Palestine Rd.