The sedative and anesthetic effects of diazepam (D), xylazine (X), thiopental (T) individually and their combinations (DX, DT, XT & DXT) were evaluated in White New Zealand rabbits. The quality of surgical anesthesia obtained from experiment 1 was tested by performing two different surgeries (Vasectomy and embryo transfer; experiment 2). Thirty two growing females and eight adult rabbits (experiment 2) were used in this study. Rabbits were injected with physiological saline, D (2.5 mg/kg), X (10 mg/kg), T (20 mg/kg) or one of the combinations (DX, XT or DXT). Rectal temperature, respiration and heart rates were recorded before and 10 min after injection and the degree and duration of sedation and anesthesia were monitored. Physiological saline had no effect on rectal temperature, respiration and heart rates. Rectal temperatures were increased following thiopental administration (P<0.05). With all treatments, rabbits exhibited depressed respiration and decreased heart rates after injection, with the exception of T which initiated an increased heart rate (P<0.01). Rabbits injected with X, T, D, DT or DX exhibited different degrees of sedation. Surgical anesthesia was obtained only after injection of XT and DXT combinations. D injection significantly prolonged the duration of anesthesia when given with XT combination (P<0.01). The anesthetic selected as superior from this comparison, DXT was used to anesthetise eight rabbits to perform either vasectomy or embryo transfer. The duration and depth of anesthesia was sufficient for performing the surgeries with minimal complications and safe recovery.