Liver disease in Victorian dogs from toxic pet meat

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Indospicine is an arginine analogue and a natural toxin occurring only in Indigofera plant species, including Australian native species. It accumulates in the tissues of grazing animals, persisting for several months after ingestion. Dogs are particularly sensitive to indospicine toxicity and can suffer fatal liver disease after eating indospicine-contaminated pet meat. METHOD: A disease outbreak investigation was launched following notification to Agriculture Victoria of a cluster of 18 dogs displaying acute, severe, hepatopathy in the East Gippsland Shire in June 2021. RESULTS: Between June and September 2021, 24 pet dogs died, and 40 others experienced liver disease after eating commercially prepared pet meat found to contain indospicine. The investigation identified the toxin in serum and liver samples from affected dogs and at high levels in some samples of pet meat eaten by the dogs. Twenty-six horses that were moved from the Northern Territory and processed at a Pet Meat Processing facility (knackery) in eastern Victoria over a period of 14 days in late May-early June 2021 were identified as the likely source of the indospicine toxin in the pet meat. Pet meat produced by the knackery and on-sold by several retailers was determined to be the cause of the illness and death in the dogs. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of severe and frequently fatal hepatopathy in dogs in Victoria relating to consumption of pet meat contaminated with indospicine.