(KPNX/NBC) — Chances are, you’ve probably heard that chocolate is poisonous to dogs. But did you know that xylitol, a common sweetener, can be even more dangerous? One family found this out the hard way with their pup “Dancer.”

“She found a container of gum in my gym bag and ate all the gum in it, about 25 to 30 pieces,” explains Dancer’s owner, Jeni Hargrove Connor. “We just kind of told her, okay Dancer you’re going to have belly ache.”

But an hour later, it was much worse. “She wasn’t standing on her own; she tried to walk and would fall over,” said Connor.

She had no idea what was wrong until her young daughters remembered reading sugar-free gum contains the sweetener xylitol, which is extremely toxic to dogs.

They rushed dancer to the vet, which is when Connor says Dancer started to have terrible seizures.

Veterinarian Dr. Raegan Wells explains, “Her blood sugar dropped to dangerously low levels.”MORE: 10 foods dangerous for your dog

Dr. Wells cared for Dancer, who spent two days in ICU receiving around-the-clock intensive care and support for her liver.

“Often times when dogs have xylitol poisoning, they’ll also suffer liver failure,” Dr. Wells said.

Two weeks later, Dancer is still on medication to support her liver.

“She’s just a wonderful dog and we’re thrilled that she’s back home with her family,” Dr. Wells says.

The family learned an important lesson. “Xylitol is extremely lethal, or extremely toxic to dogs,” Connor stresses.

She now wants to make sure others are aware of the danger.

“We felt like we didn’t keep our dog safe. It’s just like a child. When you have a toddler, you keep your cabinets locked, you medicines up, you keep bleaches and poisons away from your kids and really the same thing needs to be done if you’re going to take on the responsibility of having a dog.”THE STORIES OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON: