Die veearts gaan die klou en mikroskyfie na.

Because the verb here is the separable verb nagaan.

In a main clause, Afrikaans often splits this kind of verb:

• the main verb part goes in the normal verb position: gaan
• the prefix goes to the end: na

So:

• nagaan = to check / inspect / examine
• Die veearts gaan ... na = The vet checks/examines ...

This is very similar to separable verbs in Dutch and German.

A useful comparison:

• Ek gaan dit na. = I check it.
• Ek wil dit nagaan. = I want to check it.

In the second example, the verb stays together because it is in the infinitive form.

Here, gaan is part of nagaan, not the separate verb to go.

That matters because Afrikaans also uses gaan as a future helper verb:

• Ek gaan dit lees. = I am going to read it.

But in your sentence, the final na shows that this is the split verb nagaan. So gaan is not functioning as to go by itself.

Compare:

• Die veearts gaan die klou en mikroskyfie na.
  = The vet checks/examines the claw and microchip.
  (nagaan split)

• Die veearts gaan die klou en mikroskyfie nagaan.
  = The vet is going to check/examine the claw and microchip.
  (gaan as future marker + nagaan infinitive)

So the placement of na is the clue.

Afrikaans can use one article for two nouns joined by en when both are part of the same coordinated phrase.

So:

• die klou en mikroskyfie

means that die applies to both nouns.

You could also say:

• die klou en die mikroskyfie

That is also grammatical, but repeating die is often unnecessary unless you want extra emphasis or clarity.

This is similar to English in phrases like the claw and microchip.

The structure is:

• Die veearts = subject
• gaan = finite verb in second position
• die klou en mikroskyfie = object
• na = separated prefix from nagaan

So the pattern is:

Subject + finite verb + object + separated prefix

This is very common with separable verbs in Afrikaans.

The dictionary form is nagaan.

That is the form you would normally look up in a dictionary.

You may see it appear in different ways:

• gaan ... na in a main clause

  • Die veearts gaan die klou na.

• nagaan as an infinitive

  • Die veearts wil die klou nagaan.

• nagegaan as a past participle

  • Die veearts het die klou nagegaan.

So if you are searching for the verb, search for nagaan, not just gaan or na.

Yes. In modern Afrikaans, die is the normal definite article for nouns regardless of gender.

Unlike some other European languages, Afrikaans does not normally change the article for masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns.

So you get:

• die veearts
• die klou
• die mikroskyfie

This is one reason Afrikaans grammar is often simpler than Dutch or German in this area.

Veearts is a compound noun:

• vee = livestock / cattle
• arts = doctor

Together, veearts means veterinarian or vet.

Afrikaans uses compounds very productively, so seeing long nouns made from smaller parts is very normal.

Yes. Mikroskyfie is a standard Afrikaans word for microchip.

It is built from:

• mikro- = micro-
• skyfie = little disk / chip

In everyday use, especially with pets, it can refer to an identification microchip.

So the sentence sounds natural in a veterinary context.

You would normally use het plus the past participle nagegaan:

• Die veearts het die klou en mikroskyfie nagegaan.

Notice that the verb is no longer split the same way as in the present-tense main clause. Instead, you get the participle nagegaan at the end.

This is a very useful pattern to remember:

• Present: gaan ... na
• Past: het ... nagegaan

Then you would use gaan as a future helper verb, and the infinitive stays together:

• Die veearts gaan die klou en mikroskyfie nagaan.

This is different from your original sentence:

• Die veearts gaan die klou en mikroskyfie na.
  = The vet checks/examines the claw and microchip.

• Die veearts gaan die klou en mikroskyfie nagaan.
  = The vet is going to check/examine the claw and microchip.

So the same word gaan can appear in two different roles, and the position of na helps you tell which one it is.