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Authorities are investigating whether 22 dogs which died of liver failure in a mysterious mass poisoning ate contaminated horse meat.
Another 44 dogs were hospitalised in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Bairnsdale, Tralragon and on the Mornington Peninsula earlier this month.
Some have since developed severe liver disease.
In a statement released on July 30, Agriculture Victoria and PrimeSafe said tests had confirmed pet meat from sourced Maffra District Knackery contained a toxin found in native plants called indospicine.
A group of dogs died and 44 more were hospitalised throughout the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Bairnsdale, Tralragon and the Mornington Peninsula (pictured: one of the poisoned dogs)
'Indospicine is a toxin found in native plants of the species across Australia, but the species that produces high levels of the toxin is found in northern Australia,' the organisations said.
'Indospicine has been previously shown to build up in the tissue of some grazing animals when they continue to eat these plants and dogs are especially sensitive to the toxin.
'Horse meat is emerging as the focus of the investigation into the
