Appendix 3

Examples of Dilutions of
Anaesthetic Mixtures for Small
Rodents
● Look up dose of each drug in mg/kg.
● Convert to ml/kg according to concentration of stock solution.
● Convert to ml/100 g (rats), ml/10 g (mice).
● Add diluent (water for injection, WFI) to make an appropriate volume per
animal (e.g. 0.2 ml/100 g i.p. for rats, 0.1 ml/10 g i.p. for mice).
● Before making up these cocktails check that the strengths of the stock solutions

you are using are the same as those used here (Ketamine, 100 mg/ml, Xylazine,
20 mg/ml, Medetomidine, 1 mg/ml, Dexmedetomidine, 0.5 mg/ml, Midazolam,
5 
mg/ml, Acepromazine, 2  mg/ml or 10  mg/ml, Fentanyl, 100  ug/ml,
Atipamezole 5 mg/ml).

RAT
Except for fentanyl/medetomidine and fentanyl/fluanisone/midazolam and the
reversal agents, the volumes listed below make up sufficient material for ani-
mals with a total bodyweight of 1 kg (i.e. 4–5 young adults). The dilutions are
adjusted to provide a volume of injectate of 0.2 ml/100 g.

Ketamine/Xylazine
Dose (mg/kg): 75 mg/kg Ketamine + 10 mg/kg xylazine i.p.
Dose (ml/kg): 0.75 ml (75 mg) Ketamine + 0.5 ml (10 mg) xylazine +
0.75 ml WFI provides approximately 4–5 doses of 0.2 ml/100 g of this mixture.

Ketamine/Medetomidine
75 mg/kg Ketamine + 0.5 mg/kg medetomidine i.p.

P. Flecknell: Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia, Fourth edition.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-800036-6.00023-5
© 2016
2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 265
266  Appendix 3:  Examples of Dilutions of Anaesthetic Mixtures for Small Rodents

0.75 ml (75 mg) Ketamine + 0.5 ml (0.5 mg) medetomidine + 0.75 ml WFI

gives provides approximately 4–5 doses of 0.2 ml/100 g of this mixture.

Ketamine/Dexmedetomidine
75 mg/kg Ketamine + 0.25 mg/kg dexmedetomidine i.p.
0.75 ml (75 mg) ketamine + 0.5 ml (0.25 mg) dexmedetomidine + 0.75 ml
WFI provides approximately 4–5 doses of 0.2 ml/100 g of this mixture.

Ketamine/Midazolam
75 mg/kg Ketamine + 5 mg/kg midazolam i.p.
0.75 ml (75 mg) Ketamine + 1 ml (5 mg) midazolam + 0.25 ml WFI provides
approximately 4–5 doses of 0.2 ml/100 g of this mixture.

Ketamine/Acepromazine
75 mg/kg Ketamine + 2.5 mg/kg acepromazine i.p.
0.75 ml (75 mg) Ketamine + 0.25 ml (2.5mg) acepromazine + 1 ml WFI pro-
vides approximately 4–5 doses of 0.2 ml/100 g of this mixture.

Fentanyl/Fluanisone (‘Hypnorm’)/Midazolam
1 ml ‘Hypnorm’ (0.315 mg fentanyl/ml; 10 mg fluanisone/ml) + 1 ml midazolam
(5 mg) + 2 ml WFI provides approximately 4–5 doses of 0.33 ml/100 g i.p of this
mixture. (Add water for injection to ‘Hypnorm’ before adding midazolam.)

Fentanyl/Medetomidine
300 µg/kg Fentanyl + 300 µg/kg medetomidine i.p.
2 ml (100 µg) Fentanyl + 0.1 ml (100 µg) medetomidine gives 1 dose of
0.63 ml/100g.

Fentanyl/Dexmedetomidine
300 µg/kg Fentanyl + 150 µg/kg dexmedetomidine i.p.
2 ml (100 µg) Fentanyl + 0.1 ml (50 µg) medetomidine gives 1 dose of
0.63 ml/100g.

Reversal for Fentanyl/Medetomidine or Fentanyl/

Demedetomidine
Nalbuphine
2 mg/kg sc.
0.2 ml (2 mg) + 0.8 ml WFI provides approximately 4–5 doses of 0.1 ml/100g.
 Appendix 3:  Examples of Dilutions of Anaesthetic Mixtures for Small Rodents  267

Atipamezole
1 mg/kg sc.
0.2 ml (1 mg) + 0.8 ml WFI provides approximately 4–5 doses of 0.1 ml/100g.

MOUSE
The quantities listed below make up sufficient material for animals with a total
bodyweight of 500 g (i.e. 15–20 young adults). Except for ‘Hypnorm’/mida-
zolam, the dilution is adjusted to provide a volume of injectate of 0.1 ml/10 g.

Ketamine/Xylazine
100 mg/kg Ketamine + 10 mg/kg Xylazine i.p.
0.5 ml (75 mg) Ketamine + 0.25 ml (5 mg) xylazine + 4.25 ml WFI gives
approximately 17 doses of 0.1 ml/10 g.

Ketamine/Midazolam
100 mg/kg Ketamine + 5 mg/kg Midazolam i.p.
0.5 ml (50 mg) Ketamine + 0.5 ml (2.5 mg) midazolam + 3.75 ml WFI gives
approximately 17 doses of 0.1 ml/10 g.

Ketamine/Acepromazine
100 mg/kg Ketamine + 5 mg/kg Acepromazine i.p.
0.5 ml (50 mg) Ketamine + 1.25 ml (2.5 mg) acepromazine + 3 ml WFI pro-
vides approximately 17 doses of 0.1 ml/10 g of this mixture.

Fentanyl/Fluanisone (‘Hypnorm’)/Midazolam
1 ml ‘Hypnorm’ (0.315 mg fentanyl/ml; 10 mg fluanisone/ml) + 1 ml mida-
zolam (5 mg) + 2 ml WFI provides approximately 4–5 doses of 0.1 ml/10 g i.p
of this mixture.

Ketamine/Medetomidine
75 mg/kg Ketamine + 1 mg/kg medetomidine.
0.38 ml (38 mg) Ketamine + 0.5 ml (0.5 mg) medetomidine + 4.22 ml pro-
vides approximately 17 doses of 0.1 ml/10 g of this mixture.

Ketamine/Dexmedetomidine
75 mg/kg Ketamine + 0.5 mg/kg dexmedetomidine.
0.38 ml (38 mg) Ketamine + 0.5 ml (0.25 mg) dexmedetomidine + 4.22 ml
provides approximately 17 doses of 0.1 ml/10 g of this mixture.
268  Appendix 3:  Examples of Dilutions of Anaesthetic Mixtures for Small Rodents

GUINEA-PIG
The quantities listed below make up sufficient material for animals with a total
body weight of 1kg (i.e. 2 young adults). Except for ketamine/acepromazine
and ‘Hypnorm’/midazolam, the dilution is adjusted to provide a volume of
injectate of 2 ml/kg.

Ketamine/xylazine
40 mg/kg Ketamine + 5 mg/kg xylazine i.p.
0.4 ml (40 mg) Ketamine + 0.25 ml (5 mg) xylazine + 1.35 ml WFI provides
enough mixture for 1 kg at 2.0 ml/kg.

Ketamine/Acepromazine
125 mg/kg Ketamine + 5 mg/kg acepromazine i.p.
1.25 ml (125 mg) Ketamine + 2.5 ml (5 mg) acepromazine + 0.25 ml WFI
provides enough mixture for 1 kg at 4.0 ml/kg.

Fentanyl/Fluanisone (‘Hypnorm’)/Midazolam
2 ml ‘Hypnorm’ (0.315 mg fentanyl/ml; 10 mg fluanisone/ml) + 2 ml mida-
zolam (5 mg) + 4 ml WFI provides enough mixture for 1kg at 8 ml/kg i.p.

Ketamine/Medetomidine
40 mg/kg Ketamine + 0.5 mg/kg medetomidine.
0.4 ml (40 mg) Ketamine + 0.5 ml (0.5 mg) medetomidine + 1.1 ml WFI pro-
vides enough mixture for 1 kg at 2.0 ml/kg.

Ketamine/Dexmedetomidine
40 mg/kg Ketamine + 0.25 mg/kg dexmedetomidine.
0.4 ml (40 mg) Ketamine + 0.5 ml (0.25 mg) dexmedetomidine + 1.1 ml WFI
provides enough mixture for 1 kg at 2.0 ml/kg.

BIRDS
Equithesin
5.25 g Chloral hydrate + 12.5 ml absolute alcohol.
20.25 ml Pentobarbital (60 mg/ml).
49.5 ml Propylene glycol.
2.65 g Magnesium sulphate + 25 ml sterile water for injection.
Mix all of the above and make up total volume to 125 ml with sterile water
for injection. Dose rate of mixture is 2.5 ml/kg i.m.