Dandruff/Skin Health solutions?

At my cats yearly wellness exam this weekend my vet suggested giving my cat a fish based food because the fatty acids will help with the dandruff he gets in the winter. The dandruff does not bother him, but last winter his fur got greasy and unhealthy looking despite a wet grain-free diet, daily brushing, and a humidifier. This year in an attempt to save money he is only getting grain-free wet food in the evening and Merrick Purrfect Bistro dry in the morning (and yes, the money I'm saving feeding dry food half the day adds up to significant savings so all wet food is no longer an option). I gave him salmon oil on his wet food last winter and he liked it for a few weeks but eventually got sick of it and started either refusing food or eating around it. As a solution my vet suggested a fish based dry food instead of the chicken based food to help with the problem, but I've read so many bad things about feeding fish based foods consistently (my vet also suggested a dry only diet because wet food is "too rich" but I ignored that). Are there any other foods or supplements that can help keep a cats skin healthy .? 

I was going to suggest an Omega 3 type oil...there are others out there other than Salmon Oil.  (Sardine, Anchovy, Krill, unscented).  I think the trick is to start out with a very small amount and work your way up to the desired amount.  It's strange that your boy liked it at first, then stopped, unless it got rancid, which is a possibility.  Many of the fish oils need to be kept in the fridge once they are opened

What about offering a sardine or two (packed in water) a few times a week? I wouldn't want to go for a fish based food fed daily, especially with a male. Or else try different types of oil as suggested above or only give it a few times a week so he doesn't get bored of it. I assume also that cats (like dogs, people, ect) need vitamin E if you're offering fish oil often enough so might wanna offer a bit of that too which is also good for the skin.

Also a fish based food won't offer the same amount of omega 3 fatty acids as an oil or actual sardine because the heating process destroys them. So you'd really be taking a risk of feeding fish based food every day for very little benefit.

I was giving him Grizzly Salmon oil that I bought on Amazon which was rather pungent smelling. It was in the fridge and didn't expire for another 6 months, he is just picky with wet food. I can feed him the same dry every day and he doesn't care but if I try to feed the same wet food for the second day in a row he'll turn his nose up at it, so I think he got tired of the taste.

My Petco/petsmart/local shop doesn't carry any fish oil supplements in the cat aisle. I found some in the dog aisle but it was GNC brand which I was a little wary of. What brands would would you suggest? Where would I buy them? I've noticed that the dry food I feed guarantees 3% omega-6 and 0.4% omega-3 fatty acids (he has 1/4 c. a day). Can he get too much fish oil? Should I worry about the ingredients in the cat food in addition to supplement?

I usually buy mine from Only Natural Pet (on line), and can't really suggest a particular brand because I'm not giving mine any right now .  I'm feeding a good low carb wet food with NO dry at all, and their coats look marvelous, so I'm not doing the oils right now.  But in the past I have given them Nordic Naturals, Iceland Pure, and even Only Natural Pet's own brand. 

I think it would be find to put the salmon oil on dry food, as long as it doesn't sit around all day and if you wash up the dish afterwards, since it can get rancid if it sits out too long.   So if he gobbles it all up...no problem.  Or feed him just a little with the oil on it, then feed him the rest if you need to leave some out for the day.