hi first... all 'ever'greens .. lose their leaves ... eventually ... usually within about 1 to 3 years ..... this is sped up by potting [the wholesaler???] ... moving it from one location to another [greenhouse to seller in big truck ... to roof ... e.g., etc] .. these changes affect its CULTURE ... humidity .. sun ... wind.. etc [just like you moving to from the equator to the north pole.. you will live.. but you will be in culture shock] second... a bad cold winter [did you tell us where you are???] .. in a pot doesnt help either ... especially on a roof ... as winter sun.. warming the pot can be problematic .... etc ... [note all the etc's ... there is just so much going on its hard to ID any specific reason] ... so by the time it gets to this point.. i would just about rule out disease ... mostly because you are supposed to be buying 'clean' stock ... and disease.. on otherwise unstressed plants.. is just not that relatively common ... so i default to bad winter .... so... all that said .. third.. its probably winter damage.. on an otherwise stressed plant ... life is all in the buds.. and i have had alleged evergreen lose every single leaf/needle.. and just bud out in spring.. like there is no tomorrow ... and all you can and should do.. is give it time .... i am of the thinking.. that we dont fertilize stressed plants.. lets just perfect proper watering .. which usually isnt all that much in spring.. with cool nights .. protect it from any late frost or freezes.. especially once it starts budding out ... and .. carp.. coffee buzz.. lol .. lost track ... oh ... and another thing.. lol ... it is your responsibility to train a plant to a trellis.. no plant.. does it itself... ever ... but that is for a later time ... lets get it growing.. and then.. with some better pix.. we can give you some ideas for training it.. into the shape you want ... and yes. we dont cut all the low long stuff off ... some we do.. and others.. we allow to elongate.. so we can bend them back to the trellis for training .... sorta like growing out your bangs ... all that.. or its dead.. lol ... trust me.. we all killed things on the learning curve.. its how we learn .... so give it a few weeks ... or a month.. and report back ... this is not a foo foo plant.. i have high hopes.. as long as you dont kill it with too much love .... ken

Maybe they will hang on by a thread. All you can do is wait and see.

Based on your description i think i'd cut them back much closer to the ground. The other thing is time. They'll recover quitequickly just not immediately. Good luck with the deer.

doesnt look to bad to me.. based on these pix .... it is late fall ... perhaps it look a lot worse in person????? even evergreen plants shed some ratio of leaves each fall .... and it can be increased by any extreme variable ... drought.. rain.. cold... transplant.. etc ... i would not let it go into winter with a dry root mass ... the roots would be more important to me.. rather than the surrounding soil ... but without the ability to stick my own finger in the soil .... or dig a couple small holes to find out .;.. i dont know what to suggest ... whatever you do.. dont try to love it to death.. by overthinking it all ... cant see.. and dont recall.. where you are ... ken