3. The Calendars

In this section, you’ll learn how to navigate HQ’s scheduling calendar.

HQ features two calendars:

• Spay/Neuter
• Wellness

These are usually the first thing you’ll see when logging in, providing a dashboard-style view of upcoming appointments. To use them effectively, you’ll need to understand:

• Appointment tiles
• How mobile location scheduling works
• Additional features available in each calendar

Considerations for Appointment Setting

Appointments by Type

HQ supports three appointment types:

• Spay/Neuter – Scheduled by clinic capacity (kennels, surgeons, species, sex, and weight).
• Wellness – Booked in time slots to ensure proper care.
• Rechecks – For animals recently spayed/neutered.

Appointments by Capacity, Time Slot, or Walk-In

• Spay/Neuter – Typically scheduled by capacity (number of kennels, surgeons, and animal mix). Some clinics may also use time slots.
• Wellness – Always scheduled by time slots.
• Rechecks – Added as needed for post-surgical follow-ups.
• Walk-Ins – Accepted as available, depending on clinic capacity.

Anesthetic vs. Non-Anesthetic Appointments

• Anesthetic – Spay/Neuter and dentals are always anesthetic.
• Non-Anesthetic – Many wellness services fall into this category.
• Correctly designating the appointment type ensures it appears in the right spot on the Patient Flow screen.

Why HQ Doesn’t Use a “Points System”

Some clinics use a “points system” for spay/neuter scheduling, where animals are assigned point values based on surgery complexity. While this may seem efficient, HQ recommends a capacity model instead.

Here’s why:

• Unbalanced scheduling – Points systems can skew schedules (e.g., too many adult female dogs in one day), limiting service to a narrow population.
• Inconsistent finances – Capacity-based scheduling ensures you know how many surgeries, their cost, and expected revenue.
• Complexity – Tallying points wastes time. A simple capacity model lets you quickly assess needs with clear categories (e.g., female cats).
• Better goal-setting – With capacity, you can set population goals (e.g., 50% cats, 50% dogs, or female dogs under one year) instead of leaving the mix to chance.

✅ Pro Tip: By using the capacity model, clinics can plan more effectively, serve a balanced population, and keep scheduling simple and predictable.