Blood transfusions are crucial in human and veterinary medicine, yet human blood reserves are in constant need of donors, while blood bank systems in veterinary care are nearly nonexistent. This leaves canine transfusions largely reliant on donations from healthy dogs, but securing compatible blood remains a major challenge because dogs also have different blood types.

Fortunately, recent advances in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have created new opportunities for producing blood cells in the laboratory. This and the similarities between human and canine health have drawn attention to dogs as translational models that can bring about innovative changes in both fields. However, a method for generating red blood cells from canine iPSCs has not been fully established.