This historic veterinary treatment involves passing a strip of linen, horsehair, or silk through a fold of skin using a specialized needle. The material is left in place to intentionally provoke localized inflammation and suppuration, creating a continuous draining wound. Practitioners believed this drew disease or toxins away from deeper, more vital organs.
Heard on the job
The farrier applied a seton to the draft horse's shoulder to help drain the deep abscess.
Insider tip
Veterinarians now use sterile drainage tubes and antibiotics instead of this older technique.