Sheila has dandruff

I've noticed over the last couple of weeks that one of my 1.5 year-old Maine coons, Sheila, has dandruff. It has gradually worsened and is now quite noticeable.

Having searched the forums and read lots of helpful posts, I'm guessing it's because I've changed the dry component of their diet from Royal Canin Maine Coon (which gave Bruce, her brother, diarrhoea) to Royal Canin Sensible. The sensible formula has fixed Bruce's diarrhoea, but Sheila is now a fat cat (I know it is high digestible) and now has dandruff! They are also fed Bozita wet food twice a day.

They used to be free-fed dry food, but I have stopped that now and am restricting their dry food and putting it into treat balls to make them work for it (they are indoor cats). But what should I do about her dandruff?

Ideally I'd like to keep them on the same food. They had better coats on the Maine Coon formula, but I'd rather Sheila had dandruff than Bruce had diarrhoea!

I brush them both daily, and haven't changed anything about their routine other than their food.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Bruce&Sheila

salmon oil might help

Did you change over to the RC Maine Coon gradually over a period of 7-10 days? If not, that could have caused the diarrhea and if you do the change over slowly that might solve that problem.

Overweight cats can not groom their backs and that alone can cause them to have dandruff along the back area

You can either add fatty acids to the diet (http://www.medi-vet.com/SearchResult...rds=eicosaderm) or use something like HyLyt Bath Oil (http://www.medi-vet.com/HyLytBathOil.aspx) to massage into the skin - and scratch/bruish a lot that area.

I doubt she's so fat she can't clean back there...it is probably due to an allergy, or as Sharky said, the need for some good fatty acids in their diets.

Stan's dandruff got better when I cut wheat out of his diet.

Thanks, everyone.

They haven't ever suddenly switched foods - they've been on RC Maine Coon for months and it was after Bruce's second bout of diarrhoea that I gradually switched them over to Sensible.

Bozita is wheat-free, and Sensible also appears to be wheat-free, although it does contain maize - would this have the same allergic reaction as wheat?

Sheila is cleaning herself normally and can reach right across her back.

I will order some salmon oil with my next cat food order - I assume that I shouldn't try this with Bruce as he doesn't have dandruff and it might be too rich for him?

Thanks again

Bruce&Sheila