A reclusive man who had not been seen since April had actually been eaten by his pack of dogs, according to officials.

The 18 mixed-breed dogs apparently devoured the body, clothing and hair of 57-year-old Freddie Mack at his Texas home.

All that was left of their owner was bone fragments of between two to five inches.

Medical examiners made the gruesome discovery after DNA testing confirmed pieces of bone recovered from the dogs' faeces belonged to Mr Mack.

"Never have we ever, or anyone we've spoken to, heard of an entire human being consumed," said Deputy Aaron Pitts, of Johnson County Sheriff's Office.


."The bones were completely broken up and eaten."

Mr Mack had serious health problems and it remains unclear whether the dogs killed their owner or if he died from a medical condition before being eaten.

"Either way, it is a very gruesome event and we extend our sympathy to Freddie Mack's family," Sheriff Adam King said.

Mr Mack was reported missing in May by a family member who said they had not heard from him since mid-April.

Image: Fragments of bone were found in the animals' faeces in long grass

Officials struggled to search his home due to the aggressive pack of dogs but despite eventually managing to distract the animals, they found no sign of Mr Mack.

After days of searching, investigators returned to comb the property and made a surprising discovery: animal faeces containing bits of human hair, clothing and bone.

Larger bone fragments were sent to the University of North Texas Centre for Human Remains Identification and were matched to Mr Mack through family DNA testing.

Deputy Pitts confirmed two of the dogs were killed by their pack, 13 were put down because of their "aggressive nature" and three were put up for adoption.

The dogs were said to be well-fed and cared for. The officer added: "This man loved his animals."

The sheriff's office said it had received a phone call from Mr Mack in 2017 while he was in the hospital to ask if someone could check on his dogs.