Summertime, and the hotline is buzzing.

At the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, Ill., phone calls from frantic owners reach their peak over the next three months. Summer, it seems, prompts all sorts of animal emergencies, from pooches that swallow their owners’ antihistamines to kitties that track through the Roundup weed killer.

One of the most common scenarios posed by callers is an animal that has ingested human pharmaceuticals, says Steve Hansen, the center’s director and a board-certified veterinary toxicologist.

“Usually, there’s a child-proof pill vial on the counter that gets knocked on the floor, and it rattles around and sounds like something to play with,” he says. “Dogs will crush the container in a second and will eat every pill inside.” Another culprit: “pill minders” containing a week’s or month’s worth of medication.

While dogs can tolerate “amazingly high” doses of some drugs, others can be extremely toxic, Hansen warns. Among the latter: topical anticancer creams containing 5-fluoro-uracil. If ingested by a dog, “it causes seizure activity that’s very hard to control,” Hansen says. The drug also attacks rapidly dividing cells in the intestines and bone marrow, and survival can be “very touch and go.”

Dogs aren’t the only ones who gobble first and ask questions later. Ferrets are “notorious for eating things they should not,” Hansen says. Although cats are more cautious, their light weight means even small amounts of a drug can do great harm.

“Cats also don’t metabolize many products nearly as efficiently as dogs,” Hansen says. “One extra-strength capsule of acetaminophen is enough to kill a cat.”

Veterinarians sometimes prescribe over-the-counter human medications for animals — for example, Benadryl, for reactions to insect bites in dogs. But always call your vet to double-check both the drug and the dose.

The other subject that generates a significant number of hotline calls is pesticides, including insecticides and herbicides. But it’s the former — products meant to kill small animals rather than vegetation — that is a bigger issue for animals, Hansen says.

A prime example are cat owners who use flea and tick products that are labeled “for dogs only.” Some of these contain permethrin, which is highly toxic to cats and can cause seizures.

If you’re a rose fanatic, beware of fertilizers that contain systemic insecticides. Dogs are attracted to the smell of the organic material and will ingest the pesticide as well. Don’t give your animals access to the area until the odors dissipate.

Herbicides are not as toxic as insecticides, Hansen says, especially if properly applied and diluted.

“The blanket recommendation is you should not have a dog, cat or child on the lawn until the product has settled or dried,” he says.

If your animal walks through a recently sprayed area, bathe him with a dishwashing liquid such as Dawn. And keep all products out of reach on a high shelf or in a locked cabinet.

Indoors, keep kitties away from floral arrangements with lilies, which can cause renal failure if ingested.

Although most everyone knows that chocolate can be toxic to dogs in large quantities (the darker the chocolate, the greater the danger), the poison control center line is documenting reactions to — surprise — grapes and raisins.

“They appear to affect the kidneys in dogs,” although some individuals seem more susceptible than others, Hansen says. “The evidence right now is circumstantial, but very strong.”

To be safe, don’t feed your dog any.