How do rats die from poison? - briefly
Rodenticides either impair coagulation, causing fatal internal bleeding, or block neural transmission, leading to respiratory paralysis; both result in rapid organ failure. The animal succumbs within minutes to hours depending on dose and toxin type.
How do rats die from poison? - in detail
Rats succumb to toxic compounds through a sequence of physiological disruptions that culminate in organ failure and death. The process varies according to the class of poison, dosage, and route of exposure.
Anticoagulant rodenticides, such as brodifacoum and warfarin, block vitamin K recycling. Without functional clotting factors, hemorrhage occurs internally and externally. Initial signs include lethargy and bruising; within 24–72 hours, blood loss overwhelms circulatory capacity, leading to hypovolemic shock.
Neurotoxic agents, exemplified by bromethalin and tetrodotoxin, interfere with neuronal ion channels. Bromethalin uncouples mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, causing cerebral edema and paralysis. Tetrodotoxin blocks voltage‑gated sodium channels, preventing action potentials. Rapid onset of muscle weakness, loss of coordination, and respiratory arrest follows within minutes to hours.
Metabolic poisons, such as zinc phosphide, generate phosphine gas when reacting with stomach acid. Phosphine inhibits cytochrome c oxidase, halting cellular respiration. Systemic hypoxia develops, producing vomiting, seizures, and multi‑organ collapse. Death typically occurs within 12–48 hours.
Acute systemic poisons, like sodium fluoroacetate (1080), disrupt the citric acid cycle by forming fluorocitrate, which blocks aconitase. Energy production ceases, leading to cardiac arrhythmias, convulsions, and rapid fatality, often within a few hours.
The lethal timeline can be summarized:
- Absorption – ingestion, inhalation, or dermal uptake introduces toxin.
- Distribution – bloodstream carries compound to target organs.
- Mechanistic action – inhibition of clotting, neuronal signaling, mitochondrial function, or metabolic pathways.
- Physiological failure – hemorrhage, paralysis, hypoxia, or cardiac dysfunction.
- Terminal event – collapse of vital systems and cessation of life.
Factors influencing outcome include the animal’s age, health status, and whether the poison is combined with attractants that increase consumption. Proper identification of the toxic class is essential for interpreting symptoms and estimating time to death.