Re: Smelly Gerbils.

[Janet Morrow]

First, you said that you are trying to introduce the gerbils.  Are the 3 females already in the same tank?  If so it is unwise to attempt an introduction between them and the male.  An established group will be almost impossible to introduce another gerbil to.   Second, if the females are not already in the same tank I would not advise you to attempt to put all three of them together.  Two females may live happily together, but by adding a third it greatly increases the risk of future problems.    Be sure to use the spit tank introduction.   Are the three females from the shelter friendly?  Can you handle them?  When I first got my rescue gerbil she was greasy.  I first rubbed her down gently with a wet-one.  (a baby wipe)  This helped a bit.  I then gave her corn meal bathes.  This helped a lot too.  When I introduced her to her future mate he did a great job cleaning her up the rest of the way.    Do the three gerbils clean themselves?  Make sure the bedding is kept very clean, don't leave the Chinchilla dust or corn meal in with them, as they will use it for a bathroom.  Just give it to them once a day for a few minutes.  If they don't roll into, then you can gently sprinkle it over them.  Rub a bit into their fur.   What size tank are the thee females in?  A 10 gallon aquarium is not large enough for three full grown gerbils.  This would make the tank smell more quickly.  The preferred size would be a 20 gallon tank.    Another consideration is the bedding.  I have found that the best bedding for absorbing smell is corncob.  It does a great job, better than Aspen.    I hope some of this helped, Janet AGS