Every evening is a chance to hold your pet while you are watching TV or sitting quiet. Starting from the head and work to the back, gently feeling every muscle. Look for any abnormality that might need attention or to be looked at by your Veterinarian. On cats and dogs a technique call "rolling fur ball" works very well.
You gather up a small handful of skin and fur and gently roll it across the body. This will increase circulation, help break up tension in surface muscles and great for discovering problem areas.
All animals love to be touched so don't worry if you are doing it wrong. They will let you know. But chances are you will be just fine.