A hoarder's body has been found by her husband in Las Vegas, four months after she was reported missing.

Billie Jean James, 67, was found by her husband after he spotted one of her feet sticking out from under a massive pile of rubbish and clutter.

Las Vegas Police spokesman Bill Cassell says police searched the house several times before with sniffer dogs while looking for James, a compulsive hoarder, but did not find anything.

"For our dogs to go through the house and not find anything is indicative of the environmental challenges they faced."

Husband Bill James, 68, feared she may have suffered a stroke, became disorientated, then collapsed within the debris.

Officials believe rotting food and other pungent smells stopped the dogs from working properly.