Need help with a cat with skin problems

Hi I have two cats, and one has very flaky skin, he ia  a short haired cat and sheds constantly. I brush him every day about 3 or 4 times a day and there is still more fur to brush, seems never ending. I give him baths with a special oatmeal shampoo for pets, and that seems to work for a couple of days, but then his skin flakes again. What else can I do to help his skin? Any suggestions would be most grateful.

First question I would ask is, what are you feeding?

Second, I would not give baths.  Some folks do, but it's my opinion that bathing actually strips the natural oils from the skin.

I feed both of them Purina Cat Chow. He's had this problem ever since I got him when he was a year old. He's 8 yrs old now.

I didn't know about bathing them stripping the oil from the skin, thanks for letting me know that.

My thoughts are this...

Just like people, skin issues can be directly correlated with diet.  That's why diet is the first question any good dermatologist will ask.  People who eat a healthy diet usually have good healthy skin. 

Cats need a diet that is right for them, right for their carnivorous biology.  Wet food is good, grain free is better. 

So my first suggestion is to feed more wet food.

My second suggestion would be to include a raw egg yolk with meals at least once (if not twice) a week.

Feel free to browse around the threads here to see the discussions on a healthy cat diet.

Thank you so much! I will start feeding him wet food and look for grain free food, and thanks for the suggestion of raw egg yolk! 

Go easy on the egg yolk to start, since they are very rich and may cause loose stool.  Maybe go with half a yolk every other day.  Some cats don't like it plain, so mixing it with the wet food might help make it more palatable. 

It may take a few weeks to see any changes, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised.