How quickly does a mouse die from poison? - briefly
Most rodenticides cause death in mice within a few minutes to several hours after ingestion, with lethal doses of anticoagulants often requiring 12‑24 hours for physiological collapse. Acute neurotoxic poisons can produce fatal outcomes in under five minutes.
How quickly does a mouse die from poison? - in detail
A mouse exposed to a lethal toxin typically dies within minutes to several hours, depending on the chemical class, dose, route of administration, and individual characteristics such as age, weight, and health status.
Acute rodenticides such as anticoagulants (e.g., bromadiolone, difenacoum) act by inhibiting vitamin K recycling, leading to internal bleeding. After a single oral dose that exceeds the lethal threshold (approximately 0.1 mg kg⁻¹ for adult mice), clinical signs appear after 12–24 hours, and death usually occurs within 2–5 days if untreated. Rapid‑acting agents, including neurotoxins (e.g., tetrodotoxin, strychnine) or metal phosphides, produce paralysis, respiratory failure, or cardiac arrest within seconds to a few minutes following ingestion or injection.
Key variables influencing the interval between exposure and death:
- Chemical potency: High‑toxicity compounds (e.g., cyanide, organophosphates) cause fatal outcomes in under 10 minutes.
- Dose magnitude: Sub‑lethal amounts may prolong survival, producing prolonged morbidity before eventual death.
- Administration route: Intraperitoneal or intravenous injection bypasses first‑pass metabolism, shortening onset compared to oral ingestion.
- Physiological state: Juvenile or underweight mice reach lethal blood concentrations more quickly than robust adults.
- Metabolic capacity: Species‑specific enzyme activity (e.g., cytochrome P450 isoforms) alters detoxification speed.
Typical timelines for common poisons:
- Fast‑acting neurotoxins – seconds to 5 minutes.
- Metal phosphides – 5–30 minutes, driven by phosphine gas production.
- Organophosphates – 10–60 minutes, due to cholinesterase inhibition.
- Anticoagulant rodenticides – 12–24 hours for symptom onset, death within 48 hours to 5 days.
- Heavy metal salts (e.g., zinc phosphide) – 30 minutes to several hours.
In experimental settings, precise mortality timing is recorded by monitoring physiological parameters (respiratory rate, heart rhythm) and confirming cessation of vital signs. Veterinary intervention with antidotes (e.g., vitamin K₁ for anticoagulants, atropine for organophosphates) can extend survival, underscoring that observed intervals reflect both toxicodynamics and the presence or absence of treatment.