Gerbils are desert-dwelling creatures so they do not like baths with water and can become quite frightened. Your gerbil will prefer a dirt bath instead. Purchase chinchilla sand from a trusted pet supply store. This is manufactured for small animals and minimizes lung irritation. You can also push a bath or use a plastic container. Put a few inches of sand in the bath and place it in your gerbil’s cage. Allow him to explore the bath and hop instead. If all goes well, your gerbil will roll around in the sand. This keeps your gerbil clean and shiny. If he does roll around in about 15 minutes, remove the bath so he doesn’t use it as a toilet area. Try again another day. Some people offer the bath once or twice a month to up to 3 or 4 times a week. Contact your San Jose, CA vet to learn more.