A 51-year-old man found dead in a Nowra unit earlier this week had suffered injuries consistent with an animal attack.
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The horrific nature of the injuries to the man's mid section first prompted investigating officers to treat the death as a homicide.
Sources say the man was likely unconscious at the time of the attack which saw him lose a large amount of blood.
There is also speculation the man might have suffered an epileptic fit.
Neighbours of the dead man have confirmed that he suffered from a variety of medical conditions, including epilepsy.
Emergency services were called to a Douglas Street unit around midday on Monday after concerns were raised for an occupant.
The man's body was found inside one of the six-unit complex.
Police would not confirm reports the man had been killed by the dog, saying that was part of the investigation that was still to go before the coroner.
For two and a half days multiple police, including Homicide Squad detectives, scoured the property looking for clues, with teams of forensic officers working around the clock at the crime scene.
Late Monday afternoon Shoalhaven City Council rangers removed a Staffordshire bull terrier dog from the unit.
Rangers accessed the house via a backdoor to retrieve the dog which had been locked in the laundry area.
A post-mortem in Sydney on Wednesday ruled out murder but it was confirmed the man's body had suffered injuries consistent with an animal attack.
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It is understood the injuries the victim suffered were "horrific", and in fact so bad that there was really no way to establish an obvious cause of death.
It is understood the post-mortem could not confirm if the injuries were from a dog, just that the death was not suspicious.
There are definite signs of a troubled neighbourhood, where just weeks ago a 17-year-old youth accidentally died while handling a short-barrelled pistol.
Read more: Crime/Court