hi Hrvoje,

both Ketamine and Xylazine are perfectly soluble in water, Ketamin soluble 200 mg/mL, and 20mg xylazine per ml. if you do not have water for injection, autoclaved distilled water will do. store at 2-8°C.

for rats the ratio of mixing the K/X cocktail is:

 (xylazine:ketamine vary from 1:5 to 1:10 , Xylazine 1.0-4.0mg/kg, Ketamine 10-20mg/kg, intramuscular , Xylazine 0.25-0.50mg/kg, Ketamine 2.5-5.0mg/kg, intravenous , Xylazine 2.2mg/kg, Ketamine 4.4mg/kg, intravenous).

what I do usually to make as stock solution is simple: I make 50mg/ml ketamine make a 10ml solution, take only 8.8ml of it aside. then make 20mg/ml Xylazine solution (10 ml stock solution) then add 1.2 of the Xylazine solution to the 8.8 ml Ketamine you prepared earlier, the result is 10 ml of cocktail: the working formula for rats ( i.p. injection, and/or i.m. , male or female does not matter):

take according to body weight. 2 ul of the cocktail for each gram body weight:

example: rat weighing 210 gms will be given:

210 x 2 = 420ul (0.42 ml) of the cocktail to be injected i.p, or i.m.

230 gm rat (male or female) 230 x 2 = 460 ul (0.46 ml) and so on

the animal should be under anesthesia after 3- 5 minutes and absence of reflexes should last 45 -50 minutes.

for intravenous infusion it is little bit more tricky: Slow intravenous injection, (vein access of your choice), 1/2 dose, with constant monitoring of the animal's breathing, followed by the remainder after 1 minute.

one last thing: for storing the cocktail if you have a preservative like benzethonium chloride 0.01% ( or any other ) that's fine, but if you don't, pls make sure you store it at 2-8°C, for not more than a week, otherwise the cocktail will produce inconsistent results.

hope this is helpful, best wishes and good luck.

Dear Ghanim,

thank you very much for your answer. It is a LOT of help.

Dear Hrvoje,

Your are very welcome. if you need anything, please just let me know.

best wishes.

Nice Dr Ghanim

 Why xylazine causes more salivation in rumminant then other species?

don't forget to adjust the pH

Continue this discussion, what is tshe meaning of "water for injection" ? Is it aquabidest/sterile double distilled water? Or culd I use sterile saline (sodium.chloride 0.09 %) commonly use to iv ?