labelling dog muscle cells (primary culture)

[Stephanie Edelmann]

As an infrequent reader of this group, I don't know if this question is
appropriate in this context.  If not, I'm sorry and where should I post
it?
 
Here's my problem.  I am supposed to label a primary dog muscle cell
culture so that the cells can be recognized when they are reinjected
in the same dog.
 
1. Is it feasable (sp?) to use a marker-plasmid to do that or
are the cells going to be senescent by the time I have transfected
and selected them?  (I have never worked with primary cell culture)
 
2. Should I go to a retroviral vector?  They are supposed to be pretty
selective in their host.  What vectors could be used in a dog?
 
3. Where could I find information of this kind?  Not only the above
questions, but things like "general" transfection procedures etc.
 
I realize that these questions are very general and there's probably
some easy place to find all this.  So,please excuse my ignorance. I am
new to this.
Please e-mail replies since I don't have access to the net very often.
 
Thanks, Stephanie