I've learned my lesson (I hope!). Jethro was quietly chewing on a sock. I thought he was tearing off the pieces and spitting them out, but then I realized he was swallowing them .

I called our regular vet, but they didn't have time to see him immediately so I called the first alternate hospital they recommended. I figured he had chewed off less than 1/4 of a cotton sock. The receptionist at the alternate hospital gave me instructions on how to induce Jethro to vomit with hydrogen peroxide (3%). I was grateful for her instruction because it would have taken us at least an hour to get to the hospital.

As per instructions I put 2 Tablespoons of Hydrogen Peroxide in a little squeeze bottle and squirted it down Jethro's throat. He coughed up some of it, but then was acting like nothing had happened. The instructions were to give him 20 minutes after the first dose, and if that didn't get him to vomit, give him a second dose. If that one didn't work, I was to bring him in.

After his first dose I set the timer and took him outside to wander around. At the 7 minute minute mark he threw up out in the yard. His entire breakfast and shreds of sock came up. I could see how big the pieces of sock were that he had swallowed.

So it looks like we cleared it this time. What bothers me is that he has been chewing tea towels and his bedsheets before this. For some reason, it didn't occur to me that he was swallowing! I just noticed my tea towels had holes in them and the corner of his bedsheet was ragged (I cover his crate foamy with two layers of sheets so I can easily strip them and wash them) but I didn't notice there weren't any shreds of fabric on the floor. Now that I'm thinking of it, he was chewing off the strings from his rope pull toys, too.

His poops have always been firm and well formed, so I think I have been lucky. But. I have to figure out a better bed cover system and keep all the fabric out of his reach.

Any advice on how to induce him to actually chew his chew toys?

Some dogs are really nuts about eating fabric. Some shred and some swallow whole. I remember a phone call I got to make once after monitoring a GSD for passage of a foreign body. "Hey, you remember those paisley silk boxer shorts you had? Well, I found them!"

He can't chew the sheets if he can't reach them. So, cut a piece of plywood larger than the size of the crate. It doesn't need to be a thick piece of plywood (because of weight). When it's time to crate him, put the plywood on top of the crate and then the sheets.
Be sure that the sheets are far enough away from the sides that he can't reach them.

 Quote: Mary K.Pope

He can't chew the sheets if he can't reach them. So, cut a piece of plywood larger than the size of the crate. It doesn't need to be a thick piece of plywood (because of weight). When it's time to crate him, put the plywood on top of the crate and then the sheets.
Be sure that the sheets are far enough away from the sides that he can't reach them.

I don't think she's using the sheet to cover the crate, I believe she means she's using it in his crate to cover his foam bed.

If thats the case Jenny, he may have earned himself a bed w/ no padding. Koenig lost the privilege of getting bedding in his crate because he shreds/eats it.

3 years, and I've never been able to put bedding in Danke's crate.
She thinks it's filet mignon.

Kelly you are right. Sorry, I misread it. But, frankly, it never occurred to me that there would be sheets inside of the crate. I guess that just says something about the dogs that I have had over the years (including the current one).

I might as well put dollar bills inside my dogs crates instead of buying bedding. Skip the middle-man!

What do your dogs sleep on? Any padding at all? Or just the plastic crate bottom?

When my puppies were at the crate-training age, none had any bedding at all. They slept on the plastic pan. (The couple of times I offered a towel or something, it ended up wadded in the corner anyway. They seemed to prefer to lie on the cool plastic pan.) They really don't need any soft padded bedding. Especially if they can't be trusted not to destroy it.