Other symptoms of cherry eye include drainage from the eye and abnormal tear production. Initially, cherry eye results in overproduction of tears, but eventually changes to unsubstantial tear production. Treatment Non-surgical Cherry eye, if caught early, can be resolved with a downward diagonal-toward-snout closed-eye massage of the affected eye or occasionally self-corrects alone or with antibiotics and steroids. Sometimes the prolapse will correct itself with no interference, or with slight physical manual massage manipulation as often as necessary coupled with medication. Surgical Surgery is the most common means of repairing a cherry eye. Surgery involves gland replacement, not excision, by anchoring the membrane to the orbital rim or using a pocket technique. In severely infected cases, preoperative antibiotics may be necessary by means of antibiotic eye ointment. Removal of the gland was once an acceptable treatment, and made the eye appear completely normal. Despite cosmetic appeal, removal of the gland reduces tear production by 30 percent. Tear production is essential in maintaining and protecting the eye from the external environment. Reduced tear production is especially problematic in breeds of animals predisposed to Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), also known as dry eye syndrome. With surgeries performed in this manner, KCS often results later in life. KCS is not common in dogs, affecting one per cent of the dog population. KCS is a chronic degenerative conjunctivitis that can lead to impaired vision and blindness. KCS has a wide array of causes including drug toxicity, cherry eye, previous surgery, trauma, and irradiation. KCS can be treated, but treatment often spans the entirety of the animal's life. In contrast to this, several replacement surgical procedures exist to remedy cherry eye. Replacement of the gland results in lower instances of dry eye later in life. Surgery types are broken into two groups: anchoring procedures and pocket/envelope procedures. At least 8 surgical techniques currently exist. In anchoring procedures, the prolapsed gland must be sutured to the periorbital fascia, the sclera, or the base of the third eyelid. In contrast, pocket procedures involve suturing healthy tissue around the prolapsed to enclose and secure it. Each of these techniques may be performed with an anterior or superior approach, depending on which direction of suturing will cause the least complications to the eye. Anchoring method Originally, the anchoring method involved suturing the gland to the globe. This method was superseded over time due to the risky and difficult nature of