This is a specific conversation about Dog travel crates — safe and airline-approved — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A 7-year-old Bloodhound travelling in cargo hold in summer is a situation that needs careful thought — Bloodhounds are a brachycephalic-adjacent breed with heavy jowls, and many airlines have heat embargoes for cargo hold travel between May and September precisely because dogs like this can overheat in transit. Travel crates have very specific requirements depending on whether a dog is in a car, plane cabin, or hold, and airline rules vary significantly — getting this wrong means the dog won't board. To give you the right steer: what airline are you flying, and what's roughly your Bloodhound's weight and chest girth?
He's 7 years old, about 48kg, quite a big boy. Flying British Airways. He gets really lethargic in hot weather, barely moves — we're worried about the summer heat in the hold. Flying late July.
inparticular.ai
Right — a few things you need to know before we talk crates. British Airways operates a heat embargo for cargo hold pet travel from 1 June to 30 September: if the temperature at either airport exceeds 29.5°C on the day, the dog won't travel. Late July is peak risk. At 48kg, your Bloodhound also qualifies as a giant breed, which means he'll need an IATA-compliant crate in the region of a 120 or larger. Have you confirmed with BA that this specific flight is cleared for live animals in the hold, and is there any flexibility on travel dates?
Yes, BA has confirmed the route accepts live animals. Dates aren't really flexible unfortunately. We just want to make sure he's as comfortable and safe as possible in whatever crate we get.
inparticular.ai
Understood. For a 48kg Bloodhound, you need an IATA-compliant hard-sided crate — he needs to be able to stand, turn, and lie flat with room to spare. Given his heat sensitivity, ventilation coverage is the single most important feature after compliance. The crate I'd point you to is the Ferplast Atlas 100 Professional. It's one of the largest widely available IATA-certified crates in the UK, designed specifically for giant breeds, with four-sided ventilation grilles that are significantly more open than standard crates. The double-locking door system satisfies airline requirements, and it has a water trough that attaches inside the door — essential for a long flight with a dog prone to sluggishness in heat. At his size it'll be a snug fit for some 100-series options, so measure his standing height and length before ordering. You'll also want to freeze a water dish the night before travel to give him slow-release hydration during the flight.
That sounds sensible. What size exactly should we be looking at, and is there anything else we can do to help him cope with the heat?
inparticular.ai
For IATA sizing, measure his height from floor to top of head standing, and length from nose to base of tail — then add 10cm to each dimension and that's your minimum interior crate size. For a 48kg male Bloodhound that's typically a 120cm length crate, and the Ferplast Atlas 100 Pro fits that bracket. On managing heat: line the base with a self-cooling gel mat rather than a thick blanket — it regulates temperature passively and doesn't restrict airflow. Freeze water in his bowl the night before so it melts slowly during transit. Ask your vet about the flight specifically — some dogs this age with heat sensitivity benefit from a mild pre-flight check to rule out any cardiovascular issues that would make hold travel genuinely inadvisable. And fit the crate with your T-shirt inside — familiar scent helps a lethargic, anxious dog settle.
Really helpful, thank you. We'll measure him up and check with the vet too.
inparticular.ai
Good — that vet check is worth doing before you commit to anything, especially with a heat-sensitive older dog in summer cargo. If the vet has any concerns, it's better to know now. Once you have his measurements, the Ferplast Atlas 100 Professional is the crate to go for — it's the one that gives him the most airflow within IATA compliance for his size. Safe travels to both of you.
