A frightened animal reads the room without understanding the explanation being offered.

Reassurance is received through manner rather than meaning. An animal cannot follow a sentence about the vet or the fireworks, and it reads everything else with great accuracy: your voice, your speed, whether your hands are steady, how the other people are standing. Explaining harder achieves nothing while being calmer does most of the work. Much the same is true of very young children and of anybody frightened enough.

When something is scared, slow your movements and lower your voice before you say anything. Offer time and a predictable routine rather than argument. Presence communicates where words cannot reach.