Humans and grey collie dogs with cyclic neutropenia are known to suffer from an increased rate of bacterial infection. Because of the previously described microanatomic abnormalities of lysosome formation found in the polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) of dogs with canine cyclic neutropenia, studies of these cells were undertaken. PMNs from grey collie dogs were found to have significant metabolic and functional abnormalities when compared with normal collie PMNs. These included abnormally increased postphagocytic C1-glucose oxidation, decreased iodination of trichloroacetic acid-precipitable protein in the resting and phagocytizing state, decreased levels of intracellular myeloperoxidase,and a bactericidal defect against a variety of bacteria. Phagocytosis was normal. These abnormalities appear to differ from those previously described in the PMNs of patients with chronic granulomatous disease of childhood and the Chediak-Higashi syndrome and more closely resemble those seen in hereditary myeloperoxidase deficiency. Thus, the studies reported here demonstrate defective PMN function in a disease state previously believed to be a model only of periodic hematopoiesis.