It is common for clinics to use complex pricing for dog spay/neuter surgeries. This section will show you how to configure your settings to include weight charges.
Spay/Neuter prices by weight
Dog Spay/Dog Neuter are very unique line items that are automatically triggered by scheduling a spay/neuter appointment and choosing the species. These line items on a visit are what tell the system there was a successful surgery. When a surgery is declined they automatically come off. They create clean and precise reporting. Plus many other factors that make these services special!
For a clinic that charges based on size, you will set the dog neuter and dog spay at the base price. The base price will be what you charge for dogs at your lowest weight range.
Let’s say this is your pricing structure:
Under 50lbs = $100
50-100lbs = $125
Over 100lbs = $150
Then, you will need to add from the database the weight fees to tack on to the services for your larger dogs. These can be found in the database by going to Settings > Services and Products > +Add New Item and searching by “Weight”
Your weight fee will be a line item called “Weight: 50 – 100 lbs” and the price of this line item will be $25. The next line item “Weight: 100 lbs +” would be priced at $50.
If a female dog weighing 55lbs is at your clinic, your services would look like this:
Dog Spay: $100
Weight: 50 – 100 lbs: $25
Total = $125
Separate Weight Charges for Male vs. Female
If your prices change between male and female like this:
Female under 50lbs = $100 // Male under 50lbs = $100
Female 50-100 = $125 // Male 50-100 = $115
Female 100+ = $150 // Male 100+ = $140
Then enable a weight fee for both sexes such as Weight: Female 50-100 lbs $25 and Weight: Male 50-100lbs $15.
A female dog weighing 55lbs will have two line items Dog Spay $100 + Weight: Female 50-100 lbs $25 = $125 total.
Create Packages
Clinics that use weight-based pricing will often create packages to group the weight line item with the surgery and any other required services for easy selection. These packages can also be available for public clients to select when scheduling online. Check out how to create and enable packages HERE.
How to inform clients
Weight line items or packages cannot be automatically assigned or required on the e-appointment form. Clinics often want to add notice to their scheduler form so clients are aware of their pricing and policies. Here are a few options of where to add this information.
Client facing description
Each appointment type available on your online form can have a unique client facing description. This is edited by going to Settings > E-appointments > Edit (select appointment type). The description appears under the appointment type on Step 1.
Custom question
You can create a custom question or statement to be added to your e-appointment form. There are many ways to do this, such as listing your prices in a dropdown menu, creating a tick box to confirm they will select the appropriate package, etc. Learn how to create a custom field HERE.
Item description
Lastly, you can add an item description to your Spay or Neuter surgeries prompting clients to select the appropriate package. To do so, go to Settings > E-appointments > Edit (select appointment type) > Services & Products. Click Add or Remove Services and search for the correct line items. Toggle the item on. Close the popup and find the item on the Services & Products tab. Click Add description.
This message will pop up on the same page the client will select packages from, under the spay or neuter item.
