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WEBVTT SHE IS VERY ACTIVE IN SEVERALLEGS AND ARMS ARE VERY ACTIVE.SHEREE: SHE IS TRYING TO BUILDUP HER MUSCLES, BUT THAT HAS ANEGATIVE SIDE EFFECT.THEY ARE HAVING A HARD TIMEKEEPING HER HYDRATED.THEY: ON CHILDREN'S HOSPITALSNATIONALLY RENOWNED VASCULARACCESS TEAM.THEY ARE USED TO HOPINGPREEMIES, HUMANS NOT FOR.-- HELPING PREEMIES, HUMANS, NOTHIPPOS.>> I WOULD SAY IT IS A LITTLEBIT DIFFERENT.JUST THE ENVIRONMENT WASDIFFERENT AS WELL BECAUSE WE AREADDING ON THE FLOOR AT OURKNEES.THE VEIN WAS THE SAME AS YOURSOR MINE.IT WAS AN ADEQUATE SIZE.SHEREE: THEY WERE HAPPY TO LENDTHEIR EXPERTISE.>> IT WAS FUN TO BE ABLE TO HELPMAKE HER FEEL BETTER.SHEREE: THIS NEW CATHETER WAS

Advertisement Children's Hospital team lends expertise to preemie hippo Fiona Hospital’s vascular access team is helping the zoo care for its at-risk youngster. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The entire city of Cincinnati seems to be rallying behind the zoo’s preemie hippo, Fiona, and a nationally renowned team at Children’s Hospital is now lending its lifesaving support. The hospital’s vascular access team is helping the zoo care for its at-risk youngster. “Preemies have very tiny and unstable veins, and even though our vet team was able to get multiple IVs placed, the veins could not sustain the IV and would blow,” said curator of mammals Christina Gorsuch. “Lucky for us, we’re right next door to a world-class facility with a whole department dedicated to working with difficult veins.” Photos: A gallery of our favorite Fiona moments Two VAT team members, Darcy Doellman and Blake Gustafsom, came to the zoo with sensitive ultrasound equipment and placed an IV catheter in Fiona. The first line lasted about 30 minutes before the vein blew. "The actual vein was the same as yours and mine. It was still an adequette size vein," Gustafsom said. The team gave it another try and placed a lifesaving IV catheter in one of her deep leg veins. The two said they were happy to lend their expertise. "Since Fiona is on everybody's...everybody's watching her blog, it was kind of fun to be able to help make her feel better," Gustafsom said. Zoo vet staff has been with Fiona around the clock to monitor the IV since it was placed on Friday afternoon. “Five bags of fluid later, Fiona is showing signs of recovery,” said Gorsuch. “She is still sleeping a lot but has started to take bottles again and has periods of carefully supervised activity. The catheter is still in place.” Fiona weighed 29 pounds when she was born on Jan. 24, about 25 pounds lighter than the lowest recorded birth weight for the species. The normal range is 55-120 pounds. She is still a few pounds shy of 50. The baby made history in utero when zoo scientists captured the first-ever ultrasound image of a Nile hippo fetus earlier this month, confirming that Bibi was pregnant.