How long does a poisoned mouse take to die? - briefly
Most rodent poisons produce death within 12 – 48 hours, while fast‑acting toxins can kill in under an hour. The exact interval varies with the chemical type, dose, and the animal’s size.
How long does a poisoned mouse take to die? - in detail
The interval between ingestion of a lethal agent and cessation of vital functions in a laboratory mouse depends on the chemical class, dose, route of administration, and the animal’s age and health status.
Rodenticides and typical latency
- Anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin, bromadiolone): clinical signs appear after 12–48 hours; death usually occurs within 24–72 hours if the dose exceeds the LD₅₀.
- Acute neurotoxins (e.g., bromethalin, zinc phosphide): symptoms emerge within minutes to a few hours; mortality often follows within 2–6 hours.
- Metabolic poisons (e.g., sodium fluoroacetate): onset of distress after 6–12 hours; death may require 12–24 hours.
- Alkaloid‑based compounds (e.g., strychnine): convulsions start within 5–30 minutes; fatal outcome typically within 30–90 minutes.
Physiological manifestations
- Anticoagulants: progressive anemia, petechial hemorrhages, internal bleeding.
- Neurotoxins: loss of coordination, tremors, seizures, paralysis.
- Metabolic poisons: lethargy, hypothermia, respiratory depression.
- Alkaloids: hyperexcitability, violent convulsions, respiratory failure.
Experimental observations
Studies on CD‑1 mice receiving a single oral dose of bromadiolone at 5 mg kg⁻¹ reported mean time to death of 36 hours (range 24–48 hours). Exposure to zinc phosphide at 200 mg kg⁻¹ produced mean mortality at 4 hours (range 2–6 hours). Intraperitoneal injection of strychnine at 2 mg kg⁻¹ resulted in average fatality within 45 minutes (range 30–70 minutes).
Practical implications
When evaluating toxic effects, record the exact dose, administration route, and environmental temperature, as these parameters shift the lethal timeline. For humane euthanasia protocols, select agents that achieve death within a predictable window to minimize suffering.
Overall, the period from toxin ingestion to death spans from under an hour for fast‑acting neurotoxins to several days for slow‑acting anticoagulants, with intermediate durations for metabolic poisons.