The giant panda is known as a rare, vulnerable species that is extremely popular worldwide. As a special herbivore, the giant panda has retained a typical carnivorous digestive system, which is easily afflicted by various intestinal diseases, especially ETEC infection which affects the intestinal barrier when the feed structure changes (Nataro and Kaper, 1998; Chen et al., 2015). Controlling this pathogen and its associated diarrhea heavily relies on antibiotics, of which their disadvantage could also threaten the animals. Probiotics are considered as one of the most effective alternatives to antibiotics because of their abilities to maintain or restore the normal microbiota, inhibit pathogen adhesion to intestinal walls, prevent inflammation, and protect intestinal barrier function (Geier et al., 2010; Archambaud et al., 2012; Yu et al., 2015).