Surrey Bat Group

Antibiotics

Antibiotics for Bats in Care

Rescued bats that are sick or injured will often benefit from a course of antibiotic treatment. This is particularly true of cat victims, which if untreated invariably die from the pasteurella bacteria carried in cat saliva.

Surrey Bat Group carers have found Synulox Palatable Drops to be very effective in treating rescued bats. It is available in powder form, and quantities can be reconstituted with water when needed. 1ml of water can added to 50mg of powder to create a suspension which will last up to 7 days if refrigerated. It needs to be shaken well each time before being administered.

Dosage instructions are provided only for larger animals such as dogs, but our carers have found that a small drop administered twice a day can be effective for a bat, and appears to have no adverse effects. Use a small paintbrush or pipette.
A 5 to 7 day course of treatment will usually suffice unless symptoms persist.

A friendly local vet may be able to supply this drug. Otherwise, the Group occasionally secures a small stock of 50mg doses of Synulox for use in bat care. Carers should contact  Ross and Lynn for more details.