Comparison of ketmine with the combination of ketamine and xylazine for effective anesthesia in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).

The addition of xylazine to ketamine hydrochloride was found to enhance analgesia, anesthesia, and muscle relaxation in rhesus monkeys. At 0.10 ml/kg body weight, this combination provided adequate anesthesia for such procedures as cisternal puncture, lumbar spinal puncture, insertion of urinary catheters, finger amputations, and tattooing. The combination of ketamine and xylazine did depress the heart rate, respiration rate, and body temperature more than the administration of ketamine alone. The period of anesthesia also was prolonged, but the monkeys regained consciousness more rapidly at the end of the anesthetic period.