The BSc thesis contains information about the use of pyrotechnics. The aim of the
thesis was to show how it affects animals. We focused on cats, dogs, birds and cattle.
Animals have more sensitive senses than humans, so they experience the bangs and
explosions much more intensely. In the thesis, we described the animal senses (vision
and hearing) and the hormonal (endocrine) system in animals. We also gave
recommendations on how to help animals during the stressful time of New Year's
Eve celebrations (e.g., use of pheromones). At this time of the year, many animals
run away or get lost; some of them experience a lot of stress, which negatively affects
on their psychological and physiological state. The thesis was written using a
literature review method, by collecting data from books, the internet, and journals.
The findings show that the animals are under great stress due to the noise and fear
caused by the sound of pyrotechnics, which is why the level of cortisol in their blood
increases. In very high concentrations, it can lead to health problems such as selfinjury, decreased performance, illness, and more. Currently, there are some
recommendations to reduce the negative effects, such as early socialisation,
desensitisation (learning to accept certain stimuli – in our case, sounds), use of
pheromones, thunder shirts (wrapping the animal with a wide bandage or wrap) and
adapting the environment to make it more suitable, safe and comfortable for the
animal.
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